Northamptonshire County Cricket, and working with Man City hero: Inside the making of TNS’ serial winner
Silverware has followed Daniel Davies everywhere he's gone. (Pic By John Smith/FAW)
Danny Davies has won the league title with every club he has been with since the 2019/20 season, now he embarks on his biggest challenge yet with TNS.
The The New Saints’ defender has had a very successful domestic career winning four out of four Cymru Premier League titles since leaving Prestatyn Town.
The 29-year-old defender will now look to use all of his experience as TNS embark on their European journey in the UEFA Conference League which kicks off on October 3, away to Italian giants Fiorentina.
TNS became the first club in Wales to qualify for a European group stage as they beat Lithuanian side FK Panevėžys 3-0 over two legs, in which Danny Davies scored the opening goal in the first leg.
Since the Europa Conference League was introduced in the 2021/22 season, Italian giants Fiorentina have come runners up in the competition twice and now they will host TNS in the opening game.
TNS defender Danny Davies expressed his excitement on drawing the Italian giants when the draw was made: “I started cheering in my front room watching the draw when Fiorentina away came out because I want to play the biggest teams on the biggest stages.’
Davies also spoke about the draw as a whole and how they won’t be going into the competition just to make up the numbers but want to use this opportunity to show the rest of Europe what they can do.
He said: “I’m buzzing with the draw all in because there’s definitely some winnable ties in there and you’ve got the likes of Fiorentina away which will be a great experience.’
‘Being inside that top 24 is definitely a possibility and it’s the aim to make that qualifying round and we are not just going to turn up for the experience.’
With TNS becoming the first Welsh side to qualify for a European group stage he feels like it was always going to happen it was just a matter of when it happened.
Davies’ arrival on the European stage comes having nearly gone on a different path in sport. He was a cricketer and a good one at that.
He started out at Firwood Bootle Cricket Club, and he performed so well that Northamptonshire signed him up, and he scored a half-century on his debut.
An injury whilst playing for Meliden scuppered a move to Australia, where everything had been agreed. Never mind, however, as football has taken Davies’ to several different countries, and seen him earn a few Wales caps.
‘It’s massive [qualifying for a European group stage], he said.
“It was definitely coming, I think being part of TNS and part of what’s been building there I think that’s been the goal for definitely the last three years since I’ve been there.’
Differences between Andy Morrison and Neil Gibson
Before Danny made his to move to the Cymru Premier to Connahs Quay and then eventually to TNS, he was playing for his boyhood and local side Prestatyn Town.
He was part of the side that actually won the JD Cymru North but were denied promotion due to their ground not meeting the requirements.
Danny spoke about that season with Prestatyn but also about how his time with Neil Gibson at Prestatyn and Andy Morrison at Connahs Quay turned him into the player he is today.
‘That was the first year I came back to football properly playing for Prestatyn and the aim was to win the League, we won the league by a long way but weren’t allowed to go up because our ground didn’t meet the standards.’
‘For me personally, when I played for Gibbo [Neil Gibson] at Prestatyn it was very possession-based and he wanted us to have a lot of the ball so that got me used to being comfortable on the ball, taking the ball under pressure and playing out and creating something that way.’
‘Then at Connah’s Quay under Andy Morrison, it was a completely different way of playing but both massively effective.’
‘Andy Morrison was the complete opposite [way of playing to Gibbo] people call it route one but there was detail in it like what areas we wanted to hit and what bodies we wanted to get round the ball.’
‘It’s a new style of football that I had to learn very fast because it was a style that I had never really played before.’
Early beginnings at Prestatyn
Having managed Davies at Prestatyn Town and being a key part of his development, Neil Gibson has backed Davies to rise to the challenge of playing in Europe.
‘Every level he’s played at so far he’s proved that he can just cope with it comfortably.’
‘So it’s going to be interesting to see how he copes with group stages in Europe because Fiorentina is some test as you’re going to be playing against full internationals.’
Alongside his footballing talents and ability Gibson has identified Danny’s impressive mentality as a reason as to why he has been able to rise so high in his career.
‘I think it is a credit to him, like his mindset is in a good way, people call him arrogant but he’s not arrogant he just backs himself.’
‘I remember him saying to me when he was playing right back for us at times he would say like I’m looking forward to next week as their wingers are supposed to be really good so it’s going be a challenge for me.’
Davies will have the backing of all the supporters at Prestatyn Town FC who will be immensely proud to see one of their own embark upon a European adventure.
(Featured Image: John Smith/FAW)
