Curtis Davies: I'd love to play for Luton again one day

The 34-year-old came through the ranks at Kenilworth road back in the 2003-04 season, making his professional debut against Rushden & Diamonds in the LDV Vans Trophy.

He broke into the first team during the next campaign, as Luton won the League One title, before being sold to West Bromwich Albion, then in the Premier League, early the following season.

Davies is currently with Town’s Championship rivals Derby County, making 13 appearances so far this term, but on a return to the place where it all started, he said: “Yes, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

“I’ve also got dreams of playing for Leyton Orient though, they’re my local team and Luton are the team that I grew up at.

“If there was ever an opportunity, it would be nice in the future, but the biggest thing for me is to keep playing as long as possible, keep playing at the highest level as long as possible and then we’ll see what happens.

“I said many years ago I’d go and take Luton over as manager when Nathan Jones goes to Barcelona, but he ended up going to Stoke unfortunately and he did it in a bit shorter than my time playing.

“So give me two, three years and I’ll be knocking on Mick Harford’s door seeing if he’ll get me through the back door as manager.”

Davies, who one of the guests of honour at the club's Christmas Dinner on Monday night, with former players Rowan Vine and Marlon Beresford, would no doubt be well received tool, if his superb ovation after the recent clash between Derby and Luton at Pride Park is anything to go by.

Although the Rams won 2-0 that day, he continued: " Even though I’ve been gone for 14 years now, going on to 15 years, the fans gave me a standing ovation in the corner and it was quite heartwarming.

"I clapped them and I was expecting a little clap back considering they had lost the game, but they all stayed and gave me an ovation.

"It was really, really heartwarming to me and meant a lot, as ultimately some of those fans might be around 20 years old.

"So they wouldn’t have even see me play properly and they’re still giving me an ovation, which shows that I must carry some sort of respect at the club

"I love the club, the fans were brilliant to me when I was there, especially as a young kid, it was a purple patch, so it's easy to be really, really positive with a young lads.

"That's where my roots are and that's a club I always look for and I've always said I would like to potentially get back there one day if it were possible."

On just why he has such a close affinity with the Hatters, Davies, who played 62 times, scoring twice during his spell with Town, said: “I’ve always kept an eye on Luton, I can’t shake them.

“I grew up there, even though I only signed as a first year scholar, I had four years as a young kid trying to make it.

“They gave me such great memories, such great experiences, highs and lows, so it was really important development for me.

“John Moore was very, very important to my development.

“If I had gone somewhere and maybe been mollycoddled and ‘oh you’re brilliant’ kind of thing, I don’t think that would have worked for me and I might have gone backwards.

“But the fact I had someone who was driving me every day to get better and better, it allowed me to get to the first team and then each step I took up from there, I never looked back.

“I think that’s what helped me in my progression, going from playing one year in League One, to playing six games in the Championship and then going straight into a Premier League team.

“It’s not easy, but I took to it like a duck to water, simply because of my mentality and what had been instilled in me, through my father as well and John Moore.”

On just how good it was to work with Moore, who has done everything at the club, playing 306 times and scoring 14 goals, also having spells as manager, coach and was part of the staff for a decade in the 1990s-2000s, Davies said: "He’s a legend.

"I think it’s hard now, because John would probably be seen as a bully nowadays, unfortunately, in the way that football is, as football’s become a bit PC and everything needs to be done right, but John was very measured.

"He was a good man, a lovely man, that looked after you like he was your kid.

"So if he was tough on you, it’s because he expects from you, it’s not that he’s trying to be hard on you.

"He’ll be tough on the ones that he knows can take it and he get a reaction from, he’ll never be soft, that was never John’s way, but he might be a bit less on the ones that maybe he didn’t believe in as much.

"So there were times when we’d have full on shouting matches, but he’ll look at you the next time and be like, 'at least I know you care,' because you shouted back.

"So it was always a test with John and he was brilliant.

"John ended up getting moved on unfortunately through difficult circumstances at the club and then Marvin Johnson added a little extra bit of experience with us as youth team players.

"We had seen him play for the team and he was always around the place and just tried to add that little bit extra to our game and that helped us kick on."