The Legend in my Time: Super Kevin Davies

There is not much to say about Kevin Davies which has not already been said over the last week or so. When so many Bolton Wanderers fans think back to those Europa League nights and long months camped in the top four of the Premier League one name springs to mind ahead of all the others.

Davies was not the most individually talented player from our Premier League stay. The likes of Ivan Campo, Fernando Hierro, Jay Jay Okocha or Youri Djorkaeff would likely take that title. Nor was he the biggest international star to pull on a Bolton shirt with one of the above or maybe Nicolas Anelka being that.

Despite that Davies managed to adhere himself to all Bolton fans and became the man who defined an era.

I am not saying for a second that he does not deserve that title and that one of the above names is more deserving. All of those players and many more besides played a role in Bolton becoming a Premier League force, but none to the extent or over such a long period as Super Kevin Davies.

When you look back to some of the biggest individual moments of that period Davies was always at the heart of them. That fabled night in the Allianz Arena may well be the one which is never forgotten. Davies struck the equalizer to pull off a sensational draw at a Bayern Munich side boasting players like Franck Ribery who were still playing for them when they became the first German team to complete the treble.

Davies also scored Bolton’s goal in the League Cup final in 2004. That day ended in defeat but what a day! Even without the headline grabbing moments of cup final goals and the like Davies was always there in the thick of the action, when he wasn’t suspended that is.

He never stopped fighting for the cause even to the bitter end. He scored one of the goals in the 2-2 draw at the Britannia Stadium in the game which saw Bolton relegated after 11 years in the Premier League.

Maybe if that game had gone a little differently Davies could have added to his legend the goal that preserved our top flight status? I mean as if he could become any more of a legend. Maybe that would have just been too much. Maybe that’s why the journey had to come to an end.

At his peak Davies seemed to be the one striker in the country who year in year out struck fear into the hearts of the defenders on the opposition team. Yes the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba were alright, but at least defenders might leave matches against them without multiple bruises.

His record of being fouled the most and committing the most fouls must have been the stuff of nightmares for Premier League defenders not knowing whether they would be clattered or give away yet another free kick.

Davies created so many great memories for Bolton, and I look forward to the day he returns to the club in some capacity.

I will leave this with one little idea.

The Macron Stadium has a couple of stands which are named after directions which is hardly the most inspiring name for a stand and without a compass doesn’t help you find out where it is! We have a retiring club legend, yet to have his testimonial match. What better occasion could there be to christen another stand at the Macron?

As a player synonymous with one of the greatest periods in the clubs history I don’t think ‘The Kevin Davies Stand’ would be such a stupid idea, do you?