Player Focus: Curtis Davies Cruelly Overlooked in Latest England Squad

As England prepare for their upcoming international encounters against Chile and Germany, football fans were pondering who is deserving of a place in Roy Hodgson’s squad upon their qualification for the World Cup next summer. Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana are the 2 standout names to have made the 28-man squad, amidst reports that Hodgson was looking to experiment this month.

If the 66-year-old was rumoured to have been prepared to freshen up his squad, then the argument can be made that Curtis Davies is deserving of a place in the England team. The Hull City centre-back has been impressive for the Tigers upon their return to the Premier League as they sit in 10th place after 10 games, and Davies has been a key contributing factor to this.

Hull have conceded just 10 goals this season, a figure only bettered by Southampton (4), Tottenham (5), Chelsea, West Ham (both 8) and Arsenal (9), with Davies crucial to this, as is highlighted by his average WhoScored rating (7.54).

Compared to every defender in the Premier League, only Southampton’s Dejan Lovren (7.68) scores higher, while of all English players not in the current England setup, only Gareth Barry (7.63) is performing better. Davies’ rating, in fact, is better than every English centre-back currently plying their trade in the top flight of English football, with Hull supporters insisting the 28-year-old is ready to earn international recognition with a first cap.

While the defender has been called up to the national team in the past, he is yet to make his full debut for the Three Lions. The upcoming international friendlies offered the ideal opportunity for the centre-back to win his first cap with a view to making a late run for a place in the team ahead of Brazil 2014.

His cause is aided in the number of aerial duels he’s won (50) in the Premier League this term, with only Christian Benteke (60) and Marouane Chamakh (58) winning more than the Englishman. Davies’ figure is thus the highest of every centre-back in the league, further accentuating his ability to overcome the opposition in the air, while also rendering him a threat from attacking set pieces.

With a success rate in the air of 70.4%, only John Terry (74.5%) and Gary Cahill (77.8%) fare better of every English player to have won 15 or more headed battles. This further emphasises the calls for him to be called up to the England team, while exhibiting just how important he has been to Hull. Unsurprisingly, that has allowed Davies to establish a WhoScored strength of ‘aerial duels’ as a result of his continuous dominance in this regard.

Averaging 2.1 tackles per game has seen him generate a strength of 'tackling', but perhaps more telling is the number of last man tackles he has made. The England hopeful has managed 2 this season, with only Everton centre-back pairing Sylvain Distin and Phil Jagielka (both 3) having made more in England’s top tier. This not only highlights his notable defensive ability, but also his athleticism and ability to recover his position if he gets caught out. Clearly, Davies is as effective defending against teams who focus their attack on the ground as he is against aerial bombardments.

This has aided in the Tigers’ exquisite home record; they’ve conceded just 1 goal in the opening 5 home Premier League fixtures this term, that coming in the 1-1 draw with Cardiff in September. While their form on the road has been questionable, ensuring the club is picking up maximum points at the KC Stadium is the priority this term and they're evidently doing this having won 11 points from a possible 15.

As the team looks to steer clear of a relegation battle, Davies will be crucial to ensuring Hull aren’t plying their trade in England’s second tier next season. Having already made 61 headed clearances in the opening 10 games only Distin (64) and Winston Reid (63) have bettered his tally.

With the England team now announced for the upcoming international friendlies, only withdrawals will see Davies taken into consideration, but the argument can certainly be made that he’s deserving of a place. Compared to the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, making just 6 starts at centre-back this season between them, the decision to overlook the Hull vice-captain becomes all the more perplexing.

Having played alongside 4 different centre-backs already this season, the change in partner is unlikely to have an adverse effect on his performances. His international experience may not be as great as a number of those currently involved in the England setup, but he’s not going to be presented with the chance to stake a claim for his place without game time and the upcoming encounters would have been the ideal opportunity for him to have done so.

His average rating this term reinforces the notion and the decision not to be called up to the England squad can be viewed as the wrong one. Nevertheless, Hull fans can take solace in Davies’ colossal performances in defence this season and they’ll take confidence in his displays to guarantee their Premier League safety for another campaign at least.

Do you think Curtis Davies is deserving of a place in the England squad? Let us know in the comments below