As Steven Davis celebrates his 41st birthday today, we look at some of his best moments playing for Northern Ireland…
Davis began his distinguished international career in 2005 and on 7 September that year he played a pivotal role in securing the famous 1-0 victory over England in a 2006 World Cup qualifier.
In the 73rd minute the midfielder lofted a perfectly weighted ball to David Healy, who smashed home what proved to be the winner. It was the first time Northern Ireland had defeated the Three Lions in 33 years.
Ten years later Davis scored twice in a historic 3-1 win over Greece at Windsor Park.
Directly from Stuart Dallas’ cross, the midfielder was able to find the back of the net 35 minutes into the match. And he was on target again in the 59th minute.
With his brace the captain helped propel Northern Ireland to their first-ever European Championships (and first major tournament appearance since the 1986 FIFA World Cup).
At UEFA Euro 2016 in France he produced first class performances against Poland, Ukraine and Germany as Northern Ireland reached the Round of 16 where they lost out to Wales.
Davis made his 120th appearance for Northern Ireland in a Euro 2020 qualifying play-off (October 2020) against Bosnia and Herzegovina, passing legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings as the most capped player in national team history.
He would eventually increase his tally to 140 appearances, setting a new British record. And he scored 13 goals for his country. His last senior international game was a UEFA Nations League encounter against Greece in September 2022.
The former Rangers, Southampton and Aston Villa midfielder, who received an MBE from The Queen in 2017 for services to football, provided several brilliant moments in key matches throughout his career, solidifying his legacy as one of the best players ever to represent Northern Ireland.
Happy Birthday Steven!