Sweet dreams are made of this - Ross County captain Andrew Davies on making memories in another cup final
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
WHEN he sits down at the end of his career and looks back on what he achieved, there will be no shortage of special memories for Andrew Davies to reminisce about.
As a teenager he was part of the Middlesbrough side that lifted the League Cup trophy, the club’s first major cup triumph.
Two years later he was on the rollercoaster that was the ‘Boro’s journey to the UEFA Cup Final, featuring in the epic 4-1 quarter-final win over Basel at the Riverside.
Bradford City were not immune to the Davies golden touch, seeing off Premiership opposition like Aston Villa and Chelsea in three magical years of cup runs, reaching a League Cup final and winning promotion via the play-offs at Wembley.
He has another attempt at glory this weekend as skipper of Ross County, as they bid for their first major trophy against Hibernian at Hampden.
But for all his cherished moments over 15 years in the professional game, heartbreak has still found its way to the surface.
“The final defeats hurt more. People say it’s just a game but if you lose it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth,” he said.
“I was in the UEFA Cup final with Middlesbrough where we got beat 4-0 and that hurt. I played against Swansea with Bradford in the League Cup final and it does bother you.
“You’ve got to grab it with both hands because it doesn’t come around very often. I missed out on the UEFA Cup final through injury but played in the build-up to it. To do that and miss out, seeing the medal that I wanted, bothered me for a long time.”
Middlesbrough’s fairytale adventure had an ending no neutral supporter wanted. Sevilla emerged victorious in Eindhoven 10 years ago by a lopsided score of 4-0 with Davies a frustrated bystander, left to soak up the experience and bank it for use in the future.
He came off the bench for Bradford’s 5-0 loss to Swansea at Wembley in 2013, another unsatisfactory conclusion to a tale that had captured the hearts and minds of so many.
As the leader of this County side, Davies has plenty of wisdom to pass on to those who have yet to experience playing in a big final.
“Getting to the UEFA Cup final was a fantastic experience because it was with my local club. I was a ball-boy at Middlesbrough at the age of 10, made my debut at 17 and played well in a big competition for my home-town club – those are some of the best memories of my career,” he said.
“But in finals you’ve really not got to let it pass you by. I was in the squad in 2004 for the League Cup final but I was only a young guy.
“Being in the dressing room around big players and seeing how they prepare for it, you get a lot of experience. I’ll definitely be using that to my advantage this weekend.
“Middlesbrough were never expected to get to the UEFA Cup final and it was the same with Bradford – I don’t think they’ll ever get to the final of the Capital One Cup again.
“When that day comes around you always keep an eye out – I watched Man City win it the other day and you think ‘that’s where we were.’
“The memories are great and you want to cherish them.”
To add to an already hectic week, Davies has also had a new addition to welcome with Hugo Davies joining the family on Monday.
Mother and son will be watching the game from home while Dad takes to the Hampden turf, hoping to bring a major trophy back to Dingwall.
In their way stand Hibernian, a team with fervent aspirations of making it back to the Scottish Premiership and bringing some trophies with them.
Alan Stubbs’ side warmed up, quite literally, for the final by taking a week out in Spain for training, rather than staying in Scotland and preparing for the game at home. It is not an approach Davies would like to copy.
“I prefer it low-key. I don’t want to be flying anywhere. It’s nice to keep heads down and keep a normal week. There’s no point changing anything,” he said.
“It’s been a long spell with a lot of important games, so it was s nice to have a free week to concentrate on the cup.
“It’s been a mad week but hopefully now I can get my head down. Wee Hugo Davies arrived on Monday, so it’s exciting times. They’ll be watching the final at home but I’ve got family and friends coming up.
“I didn’t see Hibs play against Inverness – I was too busy trying to keep my wife settled, which was hard work in itself! But the manager knows all about them and if we’re on our game, we’ll have a good chance of being victorious.”
Sunday represents the first final for the Staggies since their Scottish Cup final appearance in 2010, which went in the favour of opponents Dundee United, running out 3-0 winners at Hampden.
For many in the squad, the much-heralded semi-final win over Celtic that year was their final and the United game almost a bridge too far, something just evading their grasp.
If Davies has his way, there will be no more near misses this weekend.
“It’s an opportunity. Anything can happen in the final,” he said. “We’ve got confidence in the team and know that if we play well, we’ve got a great chance of winning.
“You can play as many games as you want over your career, but getting some silverware obviously makes it that bit better.”
