Signed from: Youth team
Debut: 2-1 win vs Port Vale (League Cup tie), September 21st 1994
League Record: four games (plus seven as sub)
Sold to: Luton Town, for £150,000, August 1997
Looking back, it’s almost staggering how many young players Fergie give a chance to in the mid 1990s, and for all those that made it (such as our previous entry), plenty more don’t and end up sliding down the divisions.
At least Simon Davies got a decent chance, and even scored a goal in a 4-0 win over Galatassary that was sadly something of a dead rubber – qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League had become impossible by that point. Davies wasn’t awful, but never looked like he was going to challenge Ryan Giggs’ spot on the left wing. Despite only one League start in 1995/96, he still managed to win a cap for Wales.
In the summer of 1996, Fergie went on a spending spree and Davies moved further down the pecking order. In truth, Simon would have benefited from leaving then, as he spent the subsequent season with only sub appearences in League Cup ties to show for it, and doubtless this caused some stagnation.
A transfer to Luton Town failed to bring any revival in his fortunes and his career never picked up again. Mike MCSG offers a perspective on his time at Rochdale here. Following that, he spent three years in the Welsh league.
As of January 2014, he is working on the other side of town for City’s under 21 side.
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