Name: William David Davies
Nickname: ''Dai''
Country:
WalesClub: Everton (1970-1977), Wrexham (1977-1981), Swansea City (1981-1983)
Position: *GK
Side: LF/LS
Age: 26-34 years (01/04/1948)
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 80 kg
Attack: 30
Defence: 82
Balance: 86
Stamina: 62
Top Speed: 63
Acceleration: 65
Response: 86
Agility: 72
Dribble Accuracy: 50
Dribble Speed: 51
Short Pass Accuracy: 52
Short Pass Speed: 57
Long Pass Accuracy: 62
Long Pass Speed: 66
Shot Accuracy: 45
Shot Power: 82
Shot Technique: 46
Free Kick Accuracy: 43
Curling: 46
Header: 45
Jump: 84
Technique: 54
Aggression: 57
Mentality: 75
Goalkeeper Skills: 84
Team Work: 72
Injury Tolerance: B
Condition/Fitness: 7
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 8
Growth type: Standard/Lasting
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced
INFO:
Born in the Carmarthenshire village of Glanamman in 1948, Davies was a relatively late starter in the professional game as he focused on college work before joining Swansea in 1969. He made his Swansea debut at the age of 22 in 1970 and was signed by Everton for £40,000 having played only a handful of games for the south Wales club. The jump from Third Division football to the top end of the highest division - Everton were league champions at the time - was significant, with Davies admitting he found it hard initially to adjust to life at Goodison Park. Nevertheless, Davies would spend seven years as an Everton player. He made 82 appearances for the Merseyside club, many of which came in the 1974-75 season when they pushed hard for the title, only to lose out to Dave Mackay's Derby County.
Davies, who had returned to Swansea on loan in 1974, left Everton on a permanent basis for Wrexham in 1977. He helped the club to Third Division title success in his first season at the Racecourse before joining Swansea for a third time in 1981. The return to south Wales meant a return to First Division football, with Davies racking up another 71 top-flight appearances as part of the John Toshack side that threatened to win the title in 1982. Davies then moved to Tranmere Rovers, making his final Football League appearances for the Wirral club in 1983-84.
His last Wales appearance had come in 1982. He missed only six of Wales' 58 matches during that seven-year spell, a run which made him the nation's most-capped keeper until his record was surpassed by Neville Southall.
Dai Davies was a commanding goalkeeper who dominated his penalty area. Although he was prone to the odd mistake, he was a permanent fixture in the Wales side, keeping his place for some eight years. When he turned out against Scotland at Swansea in 1981, Davies overtook Jack Kelsey's record of 41 caps, going on to concede just 51 goals in 52 games, the best record of all modern Wales goalkeepers. He was nicknamed Dracula in his heyday because fans thought he was scared of crosses...