Former Luton Town defender Curtis Davies has announced his retirement saying his career has been a “special one”.
The 39-year-old centre-back come up through the Hatters Academy ranks and made his debut in 2003.
The following season he scored his first senior goal in Town’s League One title-clinching win at Wrexham.
Davies also won Luton Town’s Young Player of the Year award, and was named League One Player of the Year.
But after just six matches in the Championship – and 52 matches in total – then Premier League West Bromwich Albion swooped to sign him for £3million, then a record fee recouped by the Hatters.
Davies went on to play for Aston Villa, Leicester City, Birmingham City, Hull City, Derby County and Cheltenham.
In 2019, when Town were promoted to the Championship, Davies spoke glowing of Luton, telling Derby’s Rams TV: “I’m delighted to see them back, I’ve got such a strong feeling for that club.
“What the club did for me, the way the fans still receive me now even though I’ve been gone 14 years. “The way they receive me, the way they are with me, is amazing. I love that club.”
Davies returned to Kenilworth Road in February to joined Town captain Tom Lockyer on punditry duties for Sky Spots as Luton lost to Manchester United.
He also captained Hull and scored in the 2014 FA Cup final to put the Tigers 2-0 up against Arsenal inside nine minutes but still ended up on the losing side as the Gunners edged it 3-2 in extra time.
Davies was capped three times for England Under-21s and was picked for the senior side by Fabio Capello but never played.
That left the door open for him to play for Sierra Leone, the country of his father’s birth, and in June he made international football history by becoming the oldest player to score on his competitive debut when, aged 39, he netted in a 2-1 FIFA World qualification win over Djibouti.
Writing on his official X account, Davies said: “The day has finally come. After much deliberation over the last few months, I have decided to retire from football.
“Growing up as a kid I simply wanted to be a footballer. So to have been able to play and score at Wembley, play in the Premier League and represent both England U21 and Sierra Leone during my 23 years truly was a dream come true.
“There have been plenty of ups and maybe even more downs, but all combined it made my journey a very special one.”
