Nicola Davies (footballer)

Last updated

Nicola Davies
Personal information
Date of birth (1985-12-28) 28 December 1985 (age 38)
Place of birth Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+12 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Menai Bridge Tigers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2000–2003 Bangor City Girls
2003–2012 Liverpool Ladies
2008Fredericksburg Lady Gunners (loan)
2011–2012 Rochdale
2013 Chelsea 1 (0)
2013 Doncaster Rovers Belles 10 (0)
2014 Reading Women
2017–2018 Doncaster Rovers Belles 5 (0)
2018–2019 Sheffield United 4 (0)
International career
2002–2018 Wales [1] 64 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16:40, 14 November 2018 (UTC)

Nicola "Nikki" [2] Davies (born 28 December 1985) is a Welsh former football goalkeeper who most recently played for Sheffield United Women. In 2013, she joined FA WSL club Doncaster Rovers Belles, after a long association with Liverpool Ladies and a short spell at Chelsea Ladies. Davies has represented Wales at senior level.

Contents

Club career

Davies began playing for Menai Bridge Tigers' under-11 boys team. [3] She joined Bangor City in 2000 and was the recognised first choice goalkeeper until she moved to Liverpool in September 2003. [4] While with Liverpool, Davies won the Northern Premier Division in 2003–04 and 2006–07. [3]

In 2009–10 Davies spent a period away from Liverpool while completing Royal Air Force training. She played for Rochdale in the 2011–12 FA Women's Premier League Northern Division to gain match fitness. [5]

After playing for Liverpool in 2012, Davies was named FA WSL goalkeeper of the year. She also won 2012 RAF Sportswoman of the Year. [6] She started the opening two games of the following season for Chelsea in outstanding form, but was then posted to Oman with the RAF, curtailing her campaign.

On the final day of the 2013 women's football transfer window, Davies signed for Doncaster Rovers Belles. [7]

In 2014, Davies joined up with Welsh legend Jayne Ludlow at Reading F.C. Women competing in the newly formed FA WSL 2. She took another break from football in February 2015, to focus on her RAF career, then re-joined Doncaster Rovers Belles ahead of the 2017 FA WSL Spring Series. [8] She announced her retirement from football in July 2019 after spending a season at Sheffield United, where she made four league appearances. [9]

International career

Davies represented Wales at U-14 and U-16 level. [3] She also won eight caps at the U-19 level. [1] Her debut for the senior side came against Canada in Lagoa, Portugal, in March 2002. [1] [10]

In August 2010, Davies played for Wales in 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification games against Azerbaijan and Sweden. Her club was listed as RAF. [11] Prior to this, her last game for Wales had been in March 2009 against Poland. [12]

In November 2010, Davies was called up for a friendly against Bulgaria as a Liverpool player again. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C.</span> Womens association football club in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England

Doncaster Rovers Belles Ladies Football Club, previously Doncaster Belles, is an English women's football club that currently plays in the FA Women's National League Division One North, the fourth tier of women's football in England. The club's administration is based at their home ground of Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Williams (footballer)</span> English footballer

Rachel Louise Williams is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United of the English Women's Super League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Hill</span> English footballer (born 1988)

Danielle Marie Hill is a retired English football goalkeeper and currently the goalkeeping coach for the Blackburn Rovers of the FA Women's Championship. She retired in 2020 after a spell with Blackburn Rovers. Hill briefly played for Doncaster Rovers Belles in the FA WSL 2. Born in Liverpool, she began her career with Everton Ladies and had a previous spell with Blackburn Rovers. She also played for ÍBV of the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild and in Norway for Toppserien club Avaldsnes IL. She has represented England up to Under 23 level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natasha Dowie</span> English footballer (born 1988)

Natasha Khalila Dowie is an English former footballer. She represented the England women's national football team at the youth level before making her senior international debut in 2009. Dowie played for the London teams Watford, Fulham and Charlton Athletic, and then spent five years with Everton before transferring to FA WSL clubs Liverpool Ladies in November 2012 and Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2016. She also spent three periods on loan with Melbourne Victory of the Australian W-League in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and played for Boston Breakers in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2016 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhiannon Roberts</span> Welsh footballer (born 1990)

Rhiannon Beth "Razza" Roberts is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Spanish Liga F club Real Betis. Born in England, she plays for the Wales women's national team.

Leanne Claire Hall is an English football goalkeeper and coach who played at full international level for England. She has spent much of her career in Yorkshire, starting at Sheffield Wednesday and enjoying two separate spells with both Doncaster Rovers Belles and Leeds United. Hall also played FA Women's Premier League football for Fulham and Leicester City Women, while the 2000 summer season was spent in Iceland with FH. In a career disrupted by serious injury, Hall attended UEFA Women's Euro 2001 and UEFA Women's Euro 2005 as a reserve goalkeeper. She most recently played for Birmingham City in the 2011 FA WSL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becky Easton</span> English footballer

Rebecca Anne Easton is an English former footballer who played for Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton and Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheryl Foster</span> Welsh footballer and referee

Cheryl Foster is a Welsh football referee and former player. She became the all-time record appearance holder for the Wales women's national football team in 2009, after making her senior international debut in 1997. At club level Foster spent nine years with Liverpool, playing in the first two seasons of the FA WSL in 2011 and 2012. She signed for Liverpool's FA WSL rivals Doncaster Rovers Belles in January 2013, before retiring later that season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christie Harrison-Murray</span> Scottish footballer

Christie Harrison-Murray is a Scottish footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and captains Birmingham City in the FA WSL. She has also played for Arsenal, Bristol Academy, and Doncaster Rovers Belles of the FA WSL, as well as Celtic and Glasgow City of the Scottish Women's Premier League. Since making her debut in 2010, Harrison-Murray has won eighty one caps for the Scotland national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy James-Turner</span> English footballer

Amy James-Turner is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Tottenham Hotspur. She has been capped four times for the England national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maz Pacheco</span> English footballer

Mayumi "Maz" Pacheco is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Aston Villa. A former England youth international, she received her first senior call-up for the Philippines in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Hodson</span> English footballer

Ashley Hodson is an English footballer who played as a midfielder for FA Women's Championship club Sheffield United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Hobbs</span> English footballer

Nicola Hobbs is an English footballer who last signed as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United ahead of the 2018/2019 FA WSL 2 season. However, she left the club in October after finding it impossible to combine her work commitments and playing career. She had previously played for London Bees in the FA WSL 2, the Doncaster Rovers Belles, Lincoln Ladies, Everton, Blackburn Rovers, and Norwich City. She has represented England up to Under 23 level. Outside of football, she works full-time as a firefighter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leandra Little</span> English footballer

Leandra Faye Little is an English former professional footballer who most recently played as a defender for Sheffield United of the FA Women's Championship. A former PE teacher, she is the education lead at the Liverpool F.C. Women's Academy and an education welfare officer for The Football Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Sweetman-Kirk</span> English footballer

Courtney Alexandra Sweetman-Kirk is an English footballer who plays as a forward, most recently for Sheffield United in the FA Women's Championship. She has also previously played for FA WSL clubs Liverpool, Everton, Notts County and Lincoln as well as Coventry City and Leicester City in the FA Women's Premier League. Sweetman-Kirk has represented England at under-23 level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Sigsworth</span> English footballer

Jessica Lucy Sigsworth is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Manchester United, Sheffield United, Notts County, Doncaster Rovers Belles and Leicester City, and has represented England at numerous youth levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethany England</span> English footballer (born 1994)

Bethany England is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women’s Super League club Tottenham Hotspur, whom she captains, and the England national team. She previously played for Doncaster Rovers Belles, Liverpool and Chelsea, and represented England on the U19 and U23 national teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Walton</span> English footballer

Sophie Katrina Walton is an English retired footballer who played as a midfielder. She played for Leeds United, Notts County, Doncaster Rovers Belles, and Sheffield United. She represented England at youth level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mollie Green</span> English footballer

Mollie Green is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest in the FA Women's National League North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirsty Hanson</span> Association football player

Kirsty Hanson is a footballer who plays as a forward for English Women's Super League club Aston Villa and the Scotland national team.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "International teams – Nicola Davies". Football Association of Wales. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Nikki Davies". Sheffield United W.F.C. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Nicola Davies – Liverpool Ladies". Menai Bridge Tigers FC. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  4. "Keeper Davies to join Liverpool Ladies". Bangor City Girls FC. September 2003. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  5. Jones, Dave (16 June 2012). "Wales goalkeeper Nicola Davies looking forward to Racecourse clash against Israel". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
  6. "RAF Ladies Footballer Wins Two Major Awards". Royal Air Force. 23 November 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  7. "Davies to Doncaster". She Kicks. 2 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  8. Jones, Dave (27 April 2017). "Wales keeper Nicky Davies in Ynys Mon squad for 2017 Island Games". Daily Post (North Wales) . Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  9. "Departures". Sheffield United F.C. 12 July 2019. Archived from the original on 12 September 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  10. "3.3.2002 – CAN 4:0 WAL". CanadaSoccer.com. Retrieved 16 September 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  11. "Match Report – Sweden 5 – 1 Wales". Football Association of Wales. 25 August 2010.
  12. "Match Report – Wales 1 – 2 Poland". Football Association of Wales. 11 March 2009.
  13. "Welsh Squad Named for Bulgaria Friendly". Liverpool Ladies FC. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2010.[ permanent dead link ]