Kevin Davies' FA Cup gratitude ahead of United tie

The Preston North End striker has had his fair share of Cup ups and downs throughout a long career with the likes of Chesterfield, Southampton and Bolton Wanderers.

And as the 37-year-old prepares to lead the line against Manchester United at Deepdale in the final Fifth Round tie of the weekend, he’s been recollecting some of his Cup memories.

"Growing up, I was football crazy and The FA Cup was the best thing that you could possibly win," said Davies, in a special FATV Meets interview.

"It was bigger than the World Cup back then, it just has something about it, the trophy itself, seeing people lift it and the emotion that brings.”

If anything, Davies credits The Cup with being the competition which first gave him the springboard to success.

After being released by boyhood club Sheffield United, a teenage Davies soon found his way into the first team at nearby Chesterfield.

Under the management of John Duncan in the third tier, the Spireites enjoyed a Cup run which took them to the Semi-Final in 1997 and brought an epic tie with Middlesbrough at Old Trafford.

After a thrilling 3-3 draw, Chesterfield eventually lost to the then-Premier League side in a replay at Hillsborough but Davies’ performance had caught the eye.

"I was a young boy, 19 or 20-years-old I think and was used to playing in front of a few thousand so to go there and walk out in front of 40,000 or 50,000 at the time, all blue or red [was a great experience]," he added.

"It was a brilliant game, I loved every moment of it and it helped me to go on, and I signed for Southampton that summer and my career went from there really."

Davies went on to have two spells with the Saints, sandwiching a stint with Blackburn Rovers, and it was during 2003 that he was involved in another FA Cup run.

Against the odds, Southampton went on to reach The Final that year, where they met an Arsenal team at the peak of their powers under Arsene Wenger.

But his memories of that campaign still leave something of a sour taste with Davies as Southampton lost The Final by 1-0 in Cardiff with Davies not even selected among the substitutes that day.

Davies rose to prominence after his performances for Chesterfield in The FA Cup 2007

"I found myself on the bench for a few games and scored a late equaliser against Millwall [in the Fourth Round] when we managed to get a replay and then go all the way to The Final," he explained.

"I was so disappointed when Gordon Strachan told me that I wasn't going to feature [in The Final] just a couple of hours before the game.

"It was difficult to take again, it's The FA Cup and I wanted to play some part in The Final.

"I felt I was better than some of the players ahead of me on the bench but the manager made his decision."

There were better times ahead for Davies after that, with an impressive ten-year spell at Bolton Wanderers and an England cap to come.

Now, with Preston having already seen off Havant & Waterlooville, Shrewsbury Town, Norwich City and Sheffield United in The FA Cup this season, Davies finds himself eyeing the latter stages again.

And he now believes Simon Grayson’s team have earned their crack at Louis Van Gaal’s Premier League outfit.

"I've been on some great runs throughout my career," he said. 

"So hopefully this one doesn't end on Monday."