Sierra Leone Calls Up 38-Year-Old Footballer Who Rejected Leone Stars Ten Years Ago

Sierra Leone are desperately in need of a defender to the extent they called up 38-year-old English defender, Curtis Davies.

Sierra Leone first called up Davies to the national team when he was 28-year-old but he turned it down multiple times.

Ten years later, the country contacted him to switch allegiance to Leone Stars and this time around, the English defender who is currently playing for a Championship side, Cheltenham Town jumped on the offer.

On how he reacted when Sierra Leone invited him again to join the national team, Curtis Davies told the BBC that he “was like, ‘You know I’m 38, right?'”

Curtis Davies who has played for English clubs like Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Hull City, and West Bromwich Albion, said he “didn’t think the opportunity would come again” for him to represent the West African country.

If the 38-year-defender can complete his international clearance on time, he could make his first international appearance for Sierra Leone in a friendly game against Somalia in Morocco on Tuesday.

On why he rejected Sierra Leone ten years ago, Davies said, “When I first got the call, I was trying to get promotion back to the Premier League – that was my focus.

“The next time, I was trying to stay in the Premier League with Hull. It was a little bit difficult for me, in terms of my club career, to make the decision.”

According to the new Sierra Leone head coach Amidu Karim, what necessitated Curtis Davies’ call-up was the team’s need for a centre-back.

He also stressed that age is not the most important factor in considering who plays for the country, noting that if Davis is fit and can deliver, he would certainly play for his team.

“As long as he’s playing regularly for his club, we need to give him a try,” Karim told BBC.

“He and others will be tested in these friendlies to see if they can suit our style of play. The center-back area is one department where we are having problems, so it’s good to try [Davies] and see if we can get stability.

“For me, age is just a number. It’s not a problem to me as long as he’s fit and can deliver.”