Football
ESPN staff 9y

Kevin Davies calls time on 22-season career in professional football

#INSERT type:image caption:Kevin Davies said he would look back 'with immense pride' on his career. END#

Striker Kevin Davies has announced his retirement from football after a career spanning 22 seasons and bringing him 150 goals in 820 appearances.

Davies, 38, who helped Preston to promotion to the Championship last season, also won an England cap.

He began his career at Chesterfield before moving to Southampton, from whom he joined Blackburn in a £7.5 million deal.

But after the move to Rovers failed to work out -- he scored only one league goal -- he returned to the Saints before enjoying a successful spell at Bolton.

Davies won his sole England cap at the age of 33, when he played in a 0-0 draw against Montenegro at Wembley in 2010.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I could probably physically do another season, but I just feel it's the right time.

"I'll look back with immense pride at the last 22 years."

He said he had hoped to stay at Preston and "was talking about doing a new contract there and coaching and playing on for another year in the Championship, but that didn't quite materialise."

He added that earlier in his career "I kept bouncing back, but I just felt this time I couldn't quite get to that stage again."

When Davies won his England cap he became the oldest player to make his debut for them since Leslie Compton, who did so at the age of 38 in 1950.

He recalled: "I'd been in so many of those long squads and on standby that I never thought it would quite come.

"To get the call at 33, it was just an amazing week. I just loved every minute.

"It wasn't a great game, but to get on the pitch and represent my country was the pinnacle."

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