Leif Davis

Leif Davis (born 31 December 1999) is an English footballer who plays for Championship club Leeds United as a left back. He can also play as a centre back.

Leif Davis
Personal information
Full name Leif Davis[1]
Date of birth (1999-12-31) 31 December 1999
Place of birth Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.76 m)[2]
Playing position(s) Left back / Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Leeds United
Number 40
Youth career
2015–2016 Wallsend Boys Club
2016–2018 Morecambe
2018 Leeds United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018– Leeds United 7 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 November 2019

Career

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he started his career at English youth football club Wallsend Boys Club in Newcastle.

On 27 June 2016, Davis joined Morecambe where he would come through the ranks of the academy.[3]

On 4 July 2018, Davis joined EFL Championship side Leeds United under head coach Marcelo Bielsa for an undisclosed fee, where he initially linked up with the Leeds academy.[4]

After impressing for Leeds' Under 23s,[5] Davis was promoted to the first team and was named as an unused substitute on several occasions by head coach Marcelo Bielsa before making his debut for the club on 23 December 2018, when he started in a 3–2 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park after Barry Douglas fell ill before kickoff.[6]

With Davis potentially set for a spell in the side, after injuries to left backs Barry Douglas and Gjanni Alioski, Davis himself was ruled out for the remainder of the season including Leeds' playoff campaign after knee surgery.[7][8]

Davis was regularly named as an unused substitute on the bench for the 1st team squad in the Championship, but still featured regularly for Carlos Corberán's Leeds United under 23s side over the course the 2018/19 season,[9] that won the PDL Northern League 2018/19 season by winning the league, they then became the national Professional Development League Champions by beating Birmingham City in the final.[10]

After the end of the season, Davis was linked with a £4 million move to Premier League side Liverpool.[11]

On 9 November 2019, Davis became the first player in Leeds United’s history to end on the winning side in his first seven league appearances for the club.

Style of play

Davis predominantly plays as a left back. He was converted by Corberán to play as a centre back.[12] Davis describes his style as a "a modern-day, attacking left-back".[13][14]

Career statistics
As of 27 February 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Leeds United 2018–19[15]Championship 401000— 50
2019–20[16]Championship 300020— 50
Total 7 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 10 0
Career total 70102000100

References
  1. "Notification of shirt numbers: Leeds United" (PDF). English Football League. p. 36. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  2. "Leif Davis". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  3. "Leeds United sign 18-year-old full-back Leif Davis from Morecambe". Talk Sport. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  4. "WHITES CAPTURE LEIF DAVIS – Leeds United". Leeds United. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  5. "Leif Davis selection is another blow for teammate". HITC. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  6. "Aston Villa 2 Leeds United 3". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  7. "Leeds defender Leif Davis undergoes operation". HITC. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  8. "Leeds United 2–4 Derby County (Derby win 4–3 on agg)". BBC Sport. 15 May 2019.
  9. "'True leader' – Leeds under-23 captain Hugo Diaz impresses the fans once again". The Boot Room. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  10. "Carlos Corberan on what the future can hold for Leeds United's PDL champions". YEP. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  11. "Liverpool interested in £4million transfer for Leeds youngster Leif Davis". Metro. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  12. "LEIF DAVIS: IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE". Leeds United. 28 December 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  13. "Leif Davis in profile: What can Leeds United expect from the promising defender they have snapped up for the U23s?". Leeds Live. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  14. "Who is this promising teenager that Leeds have signed? The future star under Bielsa?". Soccer Souls. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  15. "Games played by Leif Davis in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  16. "Games played by Leif Davis in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
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