Ben Davies brings a player’s voice to FAW Council as Spurs defender eyes boardroom future
Ben Davies has spent more than a decade defending for Tottenham and Wales, but this week he was asked to do something rather different: sit at the Football Association of Wales council table and speak up for the players. The Spurs veteran says he is there to bring “a player’s voice” to the room.
From the dressing room to the council chamber
Davies was named to the FAW Council in August, one of eight new members brought in under the governing body’s Together Stronger for the Future programme, as Tottenham confirmed at the time. His seat is a dedicated one for Welsh players, which makes him an unusual figure among administrators who, for the most part, came to the game from the other side of the desk.
BBC Wales Sport was allowed inside the council’s meeting at Dragon Park in Newport, and its report from the session gives a rare look at how the Wales captain approaches the job. He was candid about where he sits in terms of experience.
“There are a lot of people in that room with a lot of experience that know a lot about what goes on behind the scenes in football,” Davies said. “I’ve only been a player. But ultimately, I’m here with a player’s voice.”
His aim, he explained, is to make sure the benefits reach well beyond the international squad: “I want to see that Welsh football is giving the best opportunity to all players at every level.”
The president’s verdict
FAW president Mike Jones was clearly pleased with how the first sessions have gone. He pointed out that Davies had contributed during the morning meeting, something plenty of council members do not do. “He actually spoke up this morning, which is a good indication of what’s to come,” Jones told the BBC.
Jones also noted that the pair have crossed paths through UEFA work and congresses, and said he is “expecting big things” from the Spurs defender in the role.
Thinking about life after football
None of this means Davies is winding down. The 33 year old has made 366 appearances for Tottenham since joining in 2014, won the Europa League and played in a Champions League final, and has 104 caps for Wales. He is now in his 13th season at the club, and earlier this month came off the bench to score the third goal as Spurs beat Coventry for their first league win of the campaign.
“I feel fit. I love playing football, and I want to play as long as I can,” he said. Still, Davies holds a Business Management degree and a UEFA A Licence, so he has options when the time comes, and he admitted the council work has opened his eyes to a different career path.
“I’d like to be someone who maybe, at some point, crosses that divide from a player to the boardroom or a front-office kind of role, because I haven’t seen too many players over the years who have done that,” he said.
For now, his focus at N17 remains on the pitch, at a time when De Zerbi has had to juggle his options on the left side of defence. Off it, Wales now have one of their most experienced internationals helping to shape the decisions that will affect the next generation.
