It has taken Davies eight years to climb the slippery pole from reserve-team reject to the brink of an England cap - and he has no intention of letting the chance slip now.
Davies has enjoyed an eventful time of it since he first burst on to the scene as a rookie striker in Chesterfield's staggering run to the FA Cup semi-finals in 1997.
Big-money moves to Southampton and Blackburn followed. Yet it was during a second spell with the Saints, after Gordon Strachan had succeeded Dave Jones, that Davies reached the nadir, and knew his career would have to take a change of direction.
In the season Southampton were to reach the FA Cup final - where they lost to Arsenal - Strachan arranged a practice match; first team against reserves. Davies did not get a game - for either side.
"I was asked to sit in the stands," he recalled.
"That did it for me. I thought, 'If can't get in that side it's not going to be'.
"My contract was running out and I knew I was not going to get another one, so I made the decision to go out on loan."
A month at Millwall rekindled Davies' enthusiasm for the game.
It took Sam Allardyce to rescue him though, taking the striker to Bolton for the start of a complete resurrection of his career.
While Strachan is struggling in the Championship with Middlesbrough and Southampton are a league below that, Allardyce made Davies the player he is today.
Little wonder therefore that given the opportunity to defend his old manager against the charge of consenting to heavy-handed tactics, as laid down by Danny Murphy yesterday, Davies is quick to defend.
"Sam had his rift with Arsene Wenger, but that was more on a personal level," said Davies.
"Never once did he tell is to go out and start kicking people.
"What he used to do was remind us they were top quality players and we had to put them under pressure, get tight, deny space and close them down.
"It was not foul play or being strong-arm or over physical.
"This charge has been thrown at Bolton a few times but if anything we are too honest.
"We have been on the receiving end of bad tackles as well but our lads get up and get on with game."
The passionate defence is instinctive. It also has half an eye on Tuesday night, when Davies, after so many near misses, could finally get the chance to pull those Three Lions on to his chest.
In doing so, he would become the oldest England debutant since Leslie Compton in 1950.
At 33, Davies does not have much time to make an impact.
But, afforded a chance he thought had passed him due to injuries for Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora, Andy Carroll's loss of form and Emile Heskey's refusal to come out of retirement, Davies is eager to make up for lost time.
"Opportunities come along and you have got to seize them," he said.
"I don't want to be a footnote. I am quite a calm person but inside I am bursting to win a cap, I would like to think not just one.
"People say when the others are back I may not get back in, but I am here to work hard, make impression and hopefully play well on Tuesday."
If the past is anything to go by, no matter how well Davies does, there will be some who remain unimpressed.
Just like Heskey, Davies is unselfish to the core.
He has the unenviable statistic of being the player who makes the most fouls in the Premier League.
Conversely, he is also one of the most fouled, and that is despite a refusal to make the most of any contact.
"It's just not my style," he shrugged.
Like Heskey, he does not score many goals, two so far this season.
But ask his team-mates, or his manager, whether they want Davies around and the answer would be an overwhelming yes.
"If you have someone like Emile Heskey in your side, his manager and team-mates will appreciate what he has done," Davies said.
"I have seen him working hard, sacrificing himself, setting up goals and not getting credit.
"It is similar to me at Bolton.
"Maybe outside the club what I do is ignored. Nicolas Anelka probably didn't enjoy the way we played but he scored a few goals off me and got himself a good move to Chelsea."
Source: Team Talk
Source: Team Talk