Soccer AM

Curtis Davies

After reading through the text a few times I realised it was well-written and there were no spelling mistakes so it couldn't have been any of my mates!

Curtis Davies
Quotes of the week

Receiving you first international call-up should be a dream moment in every footballer's career, but for Aston Villa's Curtis Davies the whole experience was a little bit confusing.

When Davies was named in Fabio Capello's England party earlier this season, he didn't receive a phone call from the national team manager and instead learned about his selection through a text message from the FA.

At first the defender thought his friends were playing a trick on him, but he swiftly realised the message was genuine because the grammar was too good!

Speaking to Andy and Helen on Soccer AM, he said: "A lady called Michelle at the FA texted me. I got it as I was going up to my apartment and read it a few times.

"I wish it had just said 'you're in', but it was a long-winded text saying I had been chosen for the provisional 30-man squad and it had a long list of dates and times when the squad was meeting up.

"Then I sat down and thought 'hold on, this is a wind up'.

"But after reading through it a few times I realised it was well-written and there were no spelling mistakes so it couldn't have been any of my mates!"

Davies is officially still on loan at Villa Park from West Midlands rivals West Brom, but he says he is ready to sign a permanent deal with Martin O'Neill's side early in the summer.

He continued: "It's near enough done and dusted. The paperwork is all in place to be signed. I've just got to get the last bit sorted and then I'll be a Villa player officially.

"Come the end of the season we'll sit down and sort the contract our properly and it'll hopefully get signed. I just want to stay there and hopefully play in Europe."

He admits he's struggled to stay in touch with his former team-mates at the Hawthorns, but says he still regards the Baggies players as good friends.

However, he's not sure if the West Brom fans see him in quite the same light!

He added: "It's hard to stay in touch because you take it for granted when you're seeing people every day. When you move on somewhere else the texts are few and far between.

"But I think if any of the West Brom players were to call me up today to go for a drink or whatever then it's never a problem. They're top lads, you can pick up or drop off wherever and they'll always be good mates.

"It would be interesting to see what my reception would be at the Hawthorns because in pre-season I was still a Baggies player and I got booed against Heerenveen, so if I was a Baggies player and getting booed I'd hate to be going back as a Villa player!

"But I don't regret leaving because I wanted to push on and try to get into the England squad and I've managed to do that. My reasons for leaving were right and I've achieved what I wanted to do."