Paul Davis

Who is Paul Davis?

Paul Vincent Davis is an English former footballer.

Born in Dulwich, London, Davis signed for Arsenal as an apprentice in 1977 and turned professional the following year. A talented left-footed midfielder, he made his debut in 1980 in a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, and within a year he was a regular in the Arsenal side, as well as a member of the England U21 team.

Davis was an integral part of the successful Arsenal side of the late 1980s, winning the League Cup in 1987 and the First Division in 1989 and 1991. Davis will arguably be best remembered for an incident in 1988 when, during a match, he punched Southampton player Glenn Cockerill in the jaw. Cockerill's jaw was broken and following the FA's analysis of TV footage Davis was given a then unprecedented 9-match ban and £3,000 fine.

Despite being left out of the team for a disagreement with Manager George Graham he still appeared 447 times for Arsenal, scoring 37 goals during his career there.

Davis played in both the League Cup and FA Cup finals wins in 1993 as Arsenal chalked up their Cup Double. He also featured in Arsenal's Cup Winners' Cup win against Parma F.C the following year. Although selected for the England senior squad on several occasions, he never made an appearance for the senior team, despite 12-appearances for the Under-21 team, where he captained the side. He also played for the England 'B' team.