Irish underage star Scott Davies takes non-league side into FA Cup action, now that he has rekindled his love for game
Scott Davies: ‘I was in my kitchen with a knife, self-harming.’ Photo: Luke Walker/Getty Images
Irish football’s graduating class of 2009 took their own paths in the game, and in life. Of the Republic’s under 21 squad which contested the qualifiers for the 2011 European Championships — finishing bottom of a six-team group — a couple went on to enjoy long careers at Premier League and international level (Séamus Coleman, James McCarthy), others were capped and enjoyed some good days with their clubs (Alan Judge, Keith Treacy, Cillian Sheridan) while some struggled to even start, let alone sustain, a career.
Only one member of that crew is currently in charge of a club side. Scott Davies (35) has been preparing his non-league Slough Town squad for their biggest game of the season so far, an FA Cup tie at home to Grimsby Town today. This time last year he was a Slough player who had the duties of caretaker manager added to his load, and somehow a 10-day stint as emergency interim boss became a permanent gig.