Ex-Hatter makes international history by scoring on his competitive debut for Sierra Leone

Former Luton defender Curtis Davies has made history by becoming the oldest player to score on his competitive international debut when finding the net for Sierra Leone in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Djibouti last week.

The 39-year-old had played once for the Leone Stars before, although that was a 2-0 friendly win over Somalia last year, with Wednesday’s fixture a Confederation of African Football (CAF) group stage match. Davies, who came through the ranks at Kenilworth Road back in 2003, going on to make 62 appearances for the Hatters before being sold to West Bromwich Albion for a then club record fee of £3m in 2005, started the match out at the Stade El Abdi in Morocco.

He then found the net with just 12 minutes gone, bundling a right-wing corner over the line from close range to open his account for his country. Although Gabriel Dadzie equalised from the penalty spot in the first half, Augustus Kargbo was on target after the break to seal the victory for Sierra Leone and give them their first three points of the campaign.

Writing on Twitter afterwards, Davies said: “Extremely proud moment for me yesterday, scoring on my official debut for @SLFA_sl. This was even better because my hero/my dad was there to take it all in. From turning up at youth team games before the mini bus at Luton, to Premier League and now this is the cherry on the cake. Always my biggest supporter and him being there yesterday made it one of my career highlights.”

Davies, who also played for Aston Villa, Hull, Leicester, Birmingham and Derby County during his career, had earned three England U21 caps earlier in his career, included in Fabio Capello’s first Three Lions squad back in January 2008, but never played a senior match. Qualifying for Sierra Leone due to his father Eugene, Davies signed for Cheltenham Town last summer and went on to play 39 times for the Robins, but couldn’t prevent them from being relegated to League Two, finishing fourth from bottom, with the ex-Town defender released by the Whaddon Road club last month.