luke james kortrijk, belgium
When the two teenage supporters waiting outside Kortrijk’s Guldenspolenstadion learned that I was from Wales, they immediately understood why I had asked for directions to the club’s reception on a cold Wednesday morning. .
“Oh, Isaac Davis, King of Kortrijk,” they retorted. “He’s a great player, very fast,” Benoit said. “Defenders can’t track him.”
“His first game was so good that we all think we finally have a good striker,” agreed Gillian, adding that the owner of one of the Welshman’s match-worn shirts is He added proudly.
Davies had won over the supporters of ‘De Kellers’ within 17 minutes of his first start on season-long loan from Cardiff City, a home game against Standard Liege.
Picking up the ball 35 yards out, he drove towards goal without hesitation, missing defenders and the goalkeeper by curling the ball towards the far post before slotting it inside the near post.
setback due to injury
The same combination of direct running and quick footwork that got Davies into the Bluebirds’ first team before injury derailed last season saw him spend his loan spell in Belgium.
Asked about the coronation by a Kortrijk fan in Polkavin, which serves as the club’s media centre, Davies smiled and said: “I have enjoyed every moment so far, even the bad ones.”
“I felt confident coming to this club. From the first day I felt like I was training well and everything was going well.
“I was obviously waiting for the first goal and obviously it didn’t take that long so I was happy with that.”
Davies’ goal against Standard Liège brings back fond memories for Cardiff fans of a certain age, with City’s last goal in European competition coming against the same opponents in 1993.
There are links between Cardiff and Kortrijk, who were also owned by Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan until last summer, making the Flemish club an obvious choice for a loan destination.
“I was told before I came that it would be easy for them to follow my progress because obviously the manager would be watching the games and there is a link between Kortrijk and Cardiff.” Davis said.
The 22-year-old also had his suitability assessed in the Belgian Pro League by making contact with Cardiff attacker Rabbi Matondo, who scored 10 goals for Cercle Brugge in 2021/22.
“I emailed him when I heard about it, and he had nothing but good things to say about the league,” Davis said. “He had some positive things to say and said that for a player like me who likes to run in behind, they are perfect because they play on a high line.”
“There’s a lot of attention on the Belgian league. I feel like it’s a good platform to show what I can do as a young player at the top level,” he added.
Develop
The move is helping Davis grow off the field as well.
“I had to grow up quite a bit,” he said. “It was quite difficult to start because I had always lived at home before coming to another country on loan. But I feel like I’m used to it now.”
The arrival of another Cardiff loanee, Sheyi Ojo, has helped establish Davies, while fellow Bluebirds academy graduate Joel Bagan plays just around the corner at Kortrijk’s arch-rivals Zulte Waregem. ing.
𝙂𝙊𝙊𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙇𝙂𝙊𝙊𝘼𝘼𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙇#KVKCLU #AltijdEenKerel 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/AqzbRIQgA7
— KV Kortrijk (@kvkofficieel) October 22, 2023
Brexit complicates personal issues. His girlfriend initially lived with Davies in an apartment in the center of Kortrijk, a wealthy town with fashionable boutiques and cafes next to medieval buildings, but moved to Wales until a visa could be arranged. I had to go back.
It wasn’t a distraction on the pitch.
Matondo’s advice backfired on his former team, with Davies scoring his second goal of the season against Cercle Brugge. A relatively simple front-post finish was the result of a smart run, with an unmarked low cross.
Three weeks later, he latched on to a through ball past two defenders and beat Simon Mignolet with his left foot to give Kortrijk a famous victory against Belgian giants Club Brugge.
“I try not to think too much about goals,” Davis said. “I know people like to look at statistics, but I think what we do on the pitch is more important for the team.”
This is the kind of team-first attitude players are taught to express in media training. In Davis’ case, his performance proves the authenticity.
“He has left a good impression here,” said Imar Vandenabeele, who covers Kortrijk for the Flemish tabloid Het Laatste Nieuws.
“It’s his effort, he has a good mentality and the supporters appreciate that. He runs a lot, he does a lot of defensive work and that’s what the supporters like. I did.”
fighting spirit
Davis’ fighting spirit is a perfect fit for Kortrijk. The city is famous for being the site of the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, when local peasant militia defeated the heavy cavalry of the King of France.
Kortrijk’s stadium is named after this battle and the club will need to pull off several more historic upsets to avoid relegation.
They have not won a league game since Davies’ goal against Club Brugge in October and have not scored in their last three league games.
Davis, of course, scored the final goal. This time it was a well-placed looping header to level the score with relegation rivals Westerlo. But Kortrijk was unable to stick to the point.
Davis is modest about his goals (“I’m not really concerned about being the top scorer; I’ve only scored three goals so far).” [now four]), an impressive feat for a team that is at the bottom of the league with a five-point difference.
The only player to score in December was the team’s goalkeeper, who scored the final point in the 93rd minute with a header from Eupen’s second-from-bottom corner kick.
The result means Davies is working under a permanent manager for the third time this season, after being poached by British-Belgian Edward Still, brother of Reims manager and internet meme Will Still.
“It’s tough, especially being on loan, because the manager signed me and I didn’t start the season well so there was a change.”
“It would be great if we could finish above the relegation zone, but I feel we need to come together and take each game seriously.”
A relegation battle under multiple managers may not be ideal conditions for a young loanee, but it’s a situation Davies is no stranger to.
“It’s harder, but it’s always been that way in my career,” Davis said. “I really don’t know what it’s like to be at the top of the league.
“I only look at the positive side of everything. When I turn 26 or 27, I will have all this experience and I think it will be useful in the future.”
Since he broke into Cardiff’s first team in 2021, four different managers have guided the Bluebirds to finishes of 18th and 21st.
mark hudson
Davis felt Mark Hudson, who survived just 18 games, was “really supportive” of him and the other young players.
The academy graduate had a more difficult period under manager Steve Morrison, who came under fire for sending Davies off just 30 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.
“Obviously that’s the way he is, but I didn’t take that to heart,” Davis said.
“I felt it was unfair to be sacked because we were down to 10 players and it was a difficult situation. But I accepted it, learned from it and scored my first goal in the next game. decided.”
Davies was dubbed “the future of the club” by former Cardiff manager Sabri Lamouchi, but it is unclear whether his form at Kortrijk will be enough to push him into current manager Errol Britt’s plans.
His performances in Belgium have certainly struck a chord with Bluebirds supporters, who have shared his goal at Kortrijk widely on social media.
The increased game time being given to Rubin Colwill, who Davies played with in City’s academy, may also give hope that Bullitt intends to give other young players a chance.
But Davies showed wisdom beyond his years when asked if he sees a future for himself at the club he joined when he was just eight years old.
“For every football player, you never know what’s going to happen around the corner,” he said. “I need to focus on my time here, help the team and see where I am in January or at the end of the season.”
“I want to make sure I’m a key player somewhere, but I don’t know where that will be.
“Whether it’s in Cardiff or elsewhere. I just want to play to the best of my ability at the highest level possible.”
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