Full name Joseph Steven Davis 2002–2011 Port Vale Weight 67 kg Place of birth Burnley, England Name Joe Davis Parents Steve Davis | Playing position Role Football player Number 47 Height 1.83 m | |
 | ||
Date of birth (1993-11-10) 10 November 1993 (age 22) Current team Fleetwood Town F.C. (#47 / Defender) People also search for Steve Davis, Harry Davis, Ellie Davis | ||
Siblings Harry Davis, Ellie Davis | ||
Joseph Steven Davis (born 10 November 1993) is an English football defender who plays for EFL League Two club Port Vale.
Contents
He is son to professional manager Steve Davis and brother to Harry Davis, who plays under their father at Crewe. He played a minor role as Port Vale secured promotion out of League Two in 2012–13. He left Port Vale to join the Leicester City Academy in June 2014. He was loaned out to Fleetwood Town in October 2015 before joining the club permanently three months later. He re-signed with Port Vale in June 2017.
Port Vale
Burnley born Davis started his career in the youth ranks at Port Vale in 2002. Described as a "natural born leader", he was handed the number 25 shirt for the 2010–11 season, making the bench in October 2010. This came a month after a highly impressive reserve team performance against Sheffield Wednesday. His debut came on 30 April 2011, as he came off the bench at Vale Park to replace Gareth Owen seventy minutes into a 7–2 win over Morecambe; Ryan Lloyd also made his debut at the same time.
The 2011–12 season was the final year of his youth contract. He made his second appearance at senior level on 17 March, when he replaced Paul Marshall 49 minutes into a 3–2 defeat to Crawley Town at Broadfield Stadium; manager Micky Adams put him on as centre-back Clayton McDonald had just been sent off. McDonald's subsequent suspension gave Davis the opportunity to start against Hereford United three days later, Adams saying "he'll either sink or swim". He was voted man-of-the-match after he produced "a disciplined defensive display beyond his tender years". However, he was sent off 69 minutes into the next game for a professional foul on Torquay United's Rene Howe; the penalty was converted to cost the "Valiants" a 2–1 defeat at Plainmoor. With Clayton McDonald facing legal issues, Davis was given an extended run in the team towards the end of the 2011–12 season, thus securing the 18-year-old apprentice his first professional contract. At the end of the season he was given both the club's Youth and Young Player of the Year awards. He announced his intention to accept the club's offer of a new two-year contract in June 2012. Despite being one of the last of the 16 players offered contracts to commit his future to the club, Micky Adams said that the deal was "never in doubt" and told the media of the "excellent potential" he saw in the young defender.
Davis started the opening game of the 2012–13 season, a 3–1 home defeat to Burnley in the League Cup, but was substituted at half-time following a mistimed back-pass that allowed Charlie Austin to score for Burnley. His replacement, Clayton McDonald, then formed an impressive partnership with John McCombe to leave Davis on the sidelines. Facing Northampton Town away at Sixfields on 27 October, Gareth Owen filled the gap left after McDonald picked up a one-game suspension, though was replaced by Davis at half-time after picking up an injury; McCombe was also sent-off in the game, leaving Davis to cope adequately at centre-back alongside fellow teenager Kingsley James. Vale secured promotion at the end of the season with a third-place finish, though Davis featured on only ten occasions.
Having failed to make an appearance for Port Vale at the start of the 2013–14 season, he was loaned out to Conference Premier club Luton Town in November 2013. He played nine times for the "Hatters", with the club winning seven and drawing two games with Davis in the side. Luton manager John Still requested an extension to the loan but Micky Adams called Davis back to Vale Park to provide cover for the injured Richard Duffy. On 11 January an injury crisis meant that he started in an inexperienced centre-back partnership with 19-year-old Jack Grimmer as Vale lost 2–0 to league leaders Brentford at Griffin Park. He was publicly praised by Adams for his performance in the match, and told the press that "I'm hoping to cement my place and get myself going again."
Leicester City
In June 2014, Davis joined Premier League side Leicester City, who placed him in their development squad.
Fleetwood Town
He joined Fleetwood Town on loan in October 2015, alongside Stoke City centre-back Dionatan Teixeira, following an injury crisis at Highbury Stadium. After impressing on his loan spell, Davis joined Fleetwood on a permanent deal in January for an undisclosed fee. He ended the 2015–16 season with 25 appearances to his name as Fleetwood posted a 19th-place finish, but played just eight times throughout the 2016–17 season.
Return to Port Vale
Davis secured his release from Fleetwood to re-join Port Vale in June 2017, now in League Two. Manager Michael Brown said that "Hopefully 'Morgs' will get into him early in pre-season and we will see if we can develop a footballer. He has good pedigree and we will see where that one can go."
Style of play
Elder brother Harry described him as "a tough tackler... he'll put his head in anywhere". Defensive partner at Port Vale John McCombe added that "he's aggressive and reads the game well." Port Vale teammate Tom Pope added that Davis is calm in possession and technically sound.
Personal life
His father is former Crewe Alexandra manager Steve Davis, and his elder brother Harry played for Crewe, but is now at St Mirren – all three family members are defenders. On 22 February 2014, for 33 minutes of a match at Port Vale, Harry and Joe Davis played on opposite sides against each other, while their father watched as manager of Crewe.