Keinan Davis, the English-born striker currently lighting up Serie A with Udinese, could be the unlikely figure to knock England out of the World Cup. The Stevenage native, who once trained as a barber after being released by his hometown club, is now one of Italy's top scorers and is pursuing international football with Jamaica.
From Stevenage Rejection to Serie A Stardom
Davis's football journey began with heartbreak when Stevenage released him as a teenager for being too small. "I was very upset, crying, I remember that day," he recalls. "You're at school and people know you as the footballer, so I was kind of embarrassed. I thought I was done with football."
His salvation came through local coach Dave Northfield, who took the rejected youngsters under his wing at Biggleswade Town's Under-18s. Northfield shifted Davis from the left wing to the number nine position and rebuilt his confidence. "When you get rejected, it can go one of two ways: it can destroy you or it can make you," Davis reflects. "I owe a lot to Dave. He changed everything for me."
The Barber Shop Years and Aston Villa Breakthrough
While rebuilding his football career, Davis worked shifts at his cousin's barber shop in Stevenage. "I didn't really want to be a barber but it was the only thing I could do," he admits. "My cousin owned a barber shop and I looked up to him as a role model."
Aston Villa eventually rescued him from cutting hair, giving him his professional break. Training alongside legends like John Terry forced him to raise his game. In England, he won two Championship promotions with Villa and Nottingham Forest, was called "unplayable" by Jack Grealish, and made 34 Premier League appearances.
Serie A Transformation and Golden Boot Contention
Now at Udinese, the 28-year-old has transformed into one of Serie A's most dangerous strikers. Standing at 6ft 3in, he has scored 10 goals this season, putting him third in the scoring charts behind only Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez and Como's Anastasios Douvikas.
"I think it's an accumulation of a lot of stuff: hard work, learning from my injuries how I should take care of my body," Davis says of his sudden rise. "I focus on my legs now and my core, which has helped me. Also the way I eat - the food here is healthier than anywhere else I've been."
The World Cup Dilemma: Jamaica vs England
Davis is currently applying for a Jamaican passport through his mother's heritage. "I'm in the process of trying to get my Jamaican passport," he confirms. "My mum's side of the family are all Jamaican. I've been before. It was very influential growing up."
While Jamaica still needs to qualify against DR Congo, there's a distant possibility they could meet England in the last 32. Could Davis knock out his birth nation? "Don't rule it out," the article suggests. "Football works in mysterious ways."
Yet Davis admits playing for England would be "unreal, out of this world." He acknowledges: "International football has not been a crazy goal of mine. I think due to not playing at club level because of injuries or if somebody was ahead of me, my focus has been shifted to just playing as much club football as I can."
Italian Adaptation and Career-Defining Moment
Davis initially resisted moving to Italy. "I said no in the beginning, but that was because I was being a bit ignorant and was used to England," he admits. "It's 100 percent the best decision I made. I'm so happy that I came out here."
His watershed moment came on the final day of the 2023-24 season when he came off the bench against Frosinone and scored the goal that secured Udinese's Serie A survival. "Thanks to God that it happened," says Davis, whose Christian faith has become increasingly important in his life.
The Growing English Contingent in Serie A
Davis is part of a growing trend of English players in Italy. While only David Beckham and Jay Bothroyd played in Serie A during the 2000s, there are now 11 English players in the league, including Jamie Vardy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Fikayo Tomori.
For now, Davis is enjoying life in Udine with his girlfriend and daughter, keeping his feet on the ground despite his rising profile. His old coach Northfield is flying out for Udinese's clash against Torino in May for an emotional reunion, witnessing firsthand how far the once-rejected teenager has come.
