Gareth Melville Davies (born 11 December 1973) is a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a central defender. He made over 100 appearances in the

English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engl ...

during his career before being forced to retire after a long-term knee injury. Although he was born in England, he grew up just across the border in Wales and represented them at

Under 21 Under may refer to: * "Under" (Alex Hepburn song), 2013 * "Under" (Pleasure P song), 2009 *Bülent Ünder (born 1949), Turkish footballer *Cengiz Ünder (born 1997), Turkish footballer *Marie Under (1883–1980), Estonian poet * Under (restaurant) ...

level.

Personal life

Davies was born in

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

. His cousin, Kevin Sheedy, was also a professional footballer. His son, Rhys, is also a professional footballer who currently plays for

Aberystwyth Town Aberystwyth Town Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-Droed Tref Aberystwyth) is a Welsh semi-professional football team, currently playing in the Cymru Premier, the top tier of football in Wales. They are the only top flight men's football team in Ce ...

having previously played for Hereford FC.

Career

Davies joined his local club

Hereford United Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'The ...

as a YTS trainee at the age of 15, making his debut for the first team in 1992. He was sold to

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...

in 1995 for a £120,000 fee, and was later transferred for £175,000 to

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...

. He made one Premier League appearance for Crystal Palace in a game against

Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...

. He first suffered an injury to his knee while playing for

Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team currently competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club has played home matches at ...

, which severely restricted his appearances for the club. In 2002, after undergoing three operations on his knee, Davies decided to retire from professional football. He later played for non-league side Chippenham Town, before retiring from football altogether in 2003 to work in the recruitment industry.

References

External links

*
Gareth Davies Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Gareth 1973 births Living people Welsh footballers Wales men's under-21 international footballers Hereford United F.C. players Crystal Palace F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Reading F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Chippenham Town F.C. players Premier League players English Football League players Men's association football defenders