Kyle Lafferty has praised his ‘one of a kind’ Northern Ireland teammate, Steven Davis, as he closes in on his country’s cap record, as quoted by the Daily Record.
In skippering his side to a 1-1 draw against Romania on Friday night, the midfield maestro moved to a remarkable 118 caps, just one behind current record-holder Pat Jennings.
Davis is now set to go level with the legendary former goalkeeper as his side take on Norway at Windsor Park on Monday night in the Nations League.
Lafferty, who played alongside Davis during both of his spells at Ibrox, has waxed lyrical about his teammate.
“There are no words to describe Davo on and off the park,” said Lafferty, as quoted by the Daily Record. “He is one of a kind and will go down as one of Northern Ireland’s greatest players along with George Best.”
“What Davo has done for Northern Irish football is remarkable. The record speaks for itself. He is one of, if not the best, I have ever shared a pitch with and he is a gentleman off the field as well.
“Everyone knows George Best was one of the best players in the world but Davo is about to become the highest-capped player ever to pull on the green and it speaks volumes for the guy he is. As a footballer, he is right up there with Best.”
Steven Davis praised as he closes in on Northern Ireland caps record – Verdict
Davis hasn’t quite hit top gear for Rangers yet this season but his importance for club and country over the years is hard to overstate.
The Ulsterman played a key role in the winning of eight major trophies during his first stint at Ibrox and has been a linchpin for Northern Ireland for the last 15 years.
From the famous win over England in Belfast in 2005 to captaining his nation to the European Championships in 2016, Davis has been there through highs and lows, showing remarkable individual consistency in midfield.
Michael O’Neill rightly earned many plaudits for turning Northern Ireland’s fortunes around in recent years, but Davis was his right-hand man throughout and he is fully deserving of the limelight as he approaches this remarkable record.
