Squad Profiles - Senior

Steven Davis may only be 22 but already he has 20 senior caps under his belt. He made his debut for Northern Ireland in February 2005 against Canada, playing the full 90 minutes.

This was followed up by a second half appearance against England in the World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford and such was his impact on that game he made his first competitive start a few days later against Poland.

Indeed, March 2005 was a good month personally for Steven. Not only did he establish his international reputation but he also secured a new three-year deal contract at Aston Villa after fighting back from the ankle trouble that dogged him the previous season.

During Northern Ireland's US tour in May 2006, he became one of the country's youngest captains, at 21, when he led the side out against Uruguay and Romania.

But perhaps the greatest praise any young player can receive comes from his peers so the last word on Davis should be left to Northern Ireland skipper Aaron Hughes who told the Belfast Telegraph after the Poland game: "He played like an experienced campaigner in the middle of the park. He passed the ball well, won his fair share of tackles and showed a great deal of skill when beating their players. 

"It is tremendous news for Northern Ireland to have a young player like that coming through. If he continues to progress I believe he has the ability to become a great player at international level for us."

In July the Ballymena born man joined Fulham - linking up with former Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez.