Davies probably the best pub player to earn an England call

The defender knew his self-criticism in the wake of a disappointing full debut for Aston Villa had set him up for an almighty fall.

But Davies used his public condemnation of his first full game in a claret-and-blue shirt last September against Leicester to launch himself into the England squad.

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The jokes were flying on Friday.

Had he received a call from Carlsberg? Was he probably the best pub player in the world?

He took it all in his stride. And the centre half remained happy with the assessment he had given of his own display that night, even though Villa boss Martin O'Neill countered it immediately.

"I know what Curtis Davies said about himself. He is far from that," said O'Neill in the aftermath of the Leicester defeat.

Yet Davies was sidelined until Zat Knight was suspended after a red card at Chelsea on Boxing Day.

Six games later, and he has been called up by Fabio Capello.

Davies said: "As soon as the story broke that I was in the England squad, the pub player thing was always going to come out. But I don't regret it, no. I honestly believe it was the driving force that made me do so well.

"My performance against Leicester was unacceptable. I felt that if I had another one like it, it may have been the end so it was a good push to do well and get back.

"I've been brought up to be honest. I could have dressed up my bad performance. But I wouldn't progress. I knew if I'd had another bad game it may have been a long time before I'd get another chance. I had a fourmonth wait anyway.

"But to get back into the side, play six games and then get picked for the England squad. It's crazy, really."

Crazy indeed. Six years ago, Wimbledon released Davies and he stacked shelves at Sainsbury's.

He then impressed in a trial for Luton, from where he moved to West Bromwich for £3million before O'Neill signed him in a £10m deal last summer.

The Villa boss said: "He was harsh on himself. He had to wait because Knight has done fantastically well. But he came in after Zat was sent off and he has played excellently.

"And it seems well enough to be considered by Mr Capello."

Davies initially thought his England call was a prank after receiving a text off the FA.

He said: "I thought it was a wind-up. I looked at it a few times. But it seemed too intellectual for a footballer to have written it. That's when I knew it was the truth. The spelling was correct!"