90min

Ben Davies: Things to know about the English defender

By Daniel Feliciano

Liverpool have agreed a fee with Preston for Ben Davies
Liverpool have agreed a fee with Preston for Ben Davies / Lewis Storey/Getty Images
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Preston centre back Ben Davies is on the verge of signing for Liverpool after the two clubs agreed a deal in the region of £2m.

With just six months left on his contract, the defender had previously attracted interest from the likes of Celtic, Bournemouth and Rangers but the Reds look to have swooped in to add some much needed depth to their defensive ranks.

But who is the man in question? Here's everything you need to know about Ben Davies...

1. Former academy captain

Davies is an academy graduate
Davies is an academy graduate / Lewis Storey/Getty Images

Davies is an academy graduate at Preston North End, having joined the club aged 11. He progressed through every level and captained the academy team before making his debut for the first team aged 17.

2. The Premier League is the only tier of English football he's yet to play in

Davies went on loan to Fleetwood
Davies went on loan to Fleetwood / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Despite coming through the academy at Preston, Davies has played in every tier of England's football pyramid except for the Premier League.

He represented Southport on loan in the National League, Tranmere, York and Newport County in League Two, Fleetwood Town in League One and Preston in the Championship. The only way is up.

3. Plays centre back or left back

Davies can play more than one position
Davies can play more than one position / Lewis Storey/Getty Images

After one of his many loan moves, Davies returned to Preston and was installed as the first choice left back.

Since then he has transitioned into a central defender where he has played every game this season, but he's still got the legs to fill in at full back if needs be.

4. Supports his local team

Born in Barrow, Davies is an avid supporter of his local team. A quick scroll through his Twitter account proves that, with most of his recent retweets coming courtesy of the official Barrow AFC account.

That includes when they got promoted back to the Football League last year after 48 years away.

5. Never been capped for England at any level

Despite being a regular for years, he's never had international recognition
Despite being a regular for years, he's never had international recognition / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Despite making his first-team debut as a 17-year-old, Davies has never received international recognition.

He is only eligible to play for England and a move to Liverpool would certainly boost his standing around the country, though breaking into Gareth Southgate's side seems highly unlikely any time soon.

6. FIFA 21 and PES 2021 rating?

Davies in action
Davies in action / Alex Livesey/Getty Images

If you're a FIFA player, Davies is probably a useful pick-up given his versatility.

On Career Mode, the 25-year-old starts out with a 73 rating, but that can grow to a lofty 79 if you give him the minutes. His Ultimate Team card is rated 72.

On PES 2021 he's rated a 73.

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