West Brom allowed captain and centre half Curtis Davies to join Aston Villa in the summer of 2007, much to the bemusement of many
When Curtis Davies moved from West Bromwich Albion to Aston Villa in the summer of 2007, he acknowledged that it was a “difficult” decision to make. However, he reflects that, having been called up to the England squad while in the Premier League, it was a local switch that was ultimately justified.
The center half, Davies, came to Albion from Luton Town in 2005. Although he was well-liked by Premier League clubs already, he stayed at The Hawthorns after his first season of play. Davies was officially named Albion’s captain the following year, but he was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Baggies lost the play-off final at Wembley due to an injury sustained in the final stretch.
As a result, Davies was allowed to transfer to Villa; the brief transfer from B71 to B6 was made possible by an initial loan agreement that would be extended permanently the following summer for about £8 million. Although it wasn’t well received by Albion supporters, it undoubtedly helped Davies’ career and brought him recognition as a Three Lions player while he was playing for Martin O’Neill.
Regarding the transfer, Davies expressed his disappointment with Albion’s outcome. Davies acknowledged that the story wasn’t the most satisfying part of his playing career and talked about “broken promises” prior to the transfer. Despite this, he doesn’t regret his choice, even though his time at Villa Park wasn’t without its challenges due to a combination of tough competition and injuries.
“The way it happened made the move [from West Brom to Aston Villa] difficult,” he stated, according to SkyBet. “Although it wasn’t my best performance as a player, it was difficult because I had also broken promises to myself. Although I would have preferred to leave with all the blessings, that didn’t work out.
“The relocation was a career move in and of itself. In the end, I was able to transfer to a club that remained in Birmingham, which spared me from having to start over and make new friends. In addition, I was joining a team that had a core of talented, young English players. Despite having only played nine games for Villa, my selection in Fabio Capello’s inaugural 30-man England squad proved my move was warranted. That supported my action and the reason I took it.
Davies, who turns 39 in the spring, is still playing in League One with Cheltenham Town despite being demoted and going through the agony of losing to Derby in the play-off final a year later. With great pride and enthusiasm, he recalls his time at Albion, particularly the moment former Albion manager and midfielder Bryan Robson gave him the captain’s armband during a Premier League match against Manchester United.
“This is the Captain Marvel of England, the former captain of Manchester United, and he just appointed me captain of the team I grew up cheering for.” My entire family was present on Boxing Day, which made me feel really proud of myself. I never looked back after that; it was almost like confirmation that I could succeed if Bryan Robson thought I could.
