Ben Davis's first goal for Thailand was scored at Thien Truong Stadium on May 9, 2022, within the group stage of SEA Games 31. What's interesting is that it was the opening goal in the 5-0 victory over Singapore - the country he played for at the U16 and U19 levels link in ww88
The hope of Singaporean football
Ben Davis was once a symbol of hope for Singaporean football when he was just 15 years old. Major sports media channels such as Goal Singapore, Fox Sports, and Four Four Two regularly report on this boy, calling Davis the future of the Singapore national team.
At the age of 17, Davis was discovered by Fulham FC in the English Premier League and invited to join their football academy in West London. After playing for U18 and U23 Fulham, he debuted for the first team in August 2019 in a League Cup match against Southampton. This match received great attention from Singapore media. At that time, Davis played for Singapore U16 and U19, but still did not have the opportunity to debut for the national team. Singapore media said that Davis was "testing his abilities" and regretted that he did not participate in the FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Yemen and Palestine.
However, Singapore fans were shocked to learn that this young star was called up to Thailand's U23 team to attend the 2019 SEA Games. What made this young talent choose Thailand instead of Singapore?
From Singapore to England
Ben Davis was born in Phuket, Thailand, to a family with a Thai mother and an English father. In 2005, his father - Mr. Harvey Davis - founded a football school called JSSL Singapore. This school cooperates with England's Fulham Club and Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Premier League. So Davis went to the Lion Island and became a citizen of this country in 2009. Thanks to that, he was eligible to play for the England, Singapore and Thailand teams.
Ben Davis was once the hope of Singapore, but is now the mainstay of Thailand
From a young age, Davis was determined to pursue his dream of becoming a professional football player. He showed high discipline and studied at the Singapore Sports School, which trains the country's top young talents. "When I was in Singapore, I trained at JSSL and the Sports School. I always tried my best in every training session to overcome my limits," Davis shared with Goal Singapore in 2019. "At that time, I had to commute up to 3 hours a day to move between school and training while still ensuring my studies. But fortunately, I have achieved good results in my studies, and that is very important because a solid educational foundation is always necessary."
Not long after entering high school, Davis accepted an invitation to join Fulham's football academy in London. He quickly advanced through the U18 and U23 youth teams and officially signed a professional contract in 2018, at the age of 17. After signing the professional contract, Davis became the focus of Singapore media. According to Google search data, he receives more attention than most average players in the Premier League.
Singaporean football has never seen a player shine in Europe since the legendary Fandi Ahmad played for Groningen FC in the Dutch National Championship in 1983. The appearance of Ben Davis in the world's most watched tournament has brought great hope to Singaporean football.
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The path to recruitment
Throughout that journey of maturity, Ben Davis always gave interviews as a representative of Singapore football. When talking about the future, he often mentions wearing the national team shirt or contributing to the country's football industry. This makes no one doubt that he wants to contribute to the Merlions.
"Receiving a scholarship to Fulham is a great feeling. And signing a professional contract is unbelievable," said Davis. "I hope this will encourage more Singaporeans to play football, practice hard and believe that a player from Singapore can also enter the academy of an English Premier League team and become a professional player."
While on the Fulham U23 staff, Davis was called up to the Singapore team for the Asian Cup qualifiers against Maldives and Taiwan in March 2018. However, he did not play in those matches and has not yet officially joined the Singapore team. "I feel I can make a real contribution to the Singapore team and help the team return to its former position as an Asian powerhouse," Davis affirmed his determination.
Everything seems to be going well and Davis is ready to contribute to the national team. But a legal barrier in the homeland makes things extremely difficult.
A fight Davis couldn't win
Immediately after his 18th birthday, Davis received orders to participate in military service, a mandatory requirement for all Singapore citizens. But this happens at an extremely important time in their football career, when young players need to prove themselves to reach the top. Davis, like many other young players around the world, is trying his best to realize the dream that is close to hand. Being away from the field for 2 years could be the end of a blossoming career.
"Singaporean men must join the army when they turn 18 despite living abroad and cannot renounce their citizenship before the age of 21. They must serve two years after joining the army and can be imprisoned for three years if they refuse to do so," the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore explained about Davis' situation and the harsh reality he faced.
Ben Davis in Fulham shirt
Davis's first option was to request a deferral of service. However, Singapore's Ministry of National Defense refused, saying this was unfair to others who had performed full military service. The Ministry also emphasized that Davis could not determine the date of his return to duty. The Singaporean public is divided into two opinions. Some supported Davis, thinking he could bring glory to the nation. But the Ministry of National Defense still maintains that he needs to fulfill his duty.
Unable to reach a compromise, Davis was forced to choose the only remaining path if he wanted to continue pursuing his dream. He decided to give up his Singaporean citizenship, ending his dream of playing for the country's national team. Meanwhile, the Singaporean side stated: "Mr. Davis violated the Military Service Law and may be fined a maximum of 10,000 Singapore dollars and/or 3 years in prison if convicted."
Switch to Thailand
With no other choice, Davis decided to play for Thailand, a country that had expressed early interest in him. He joined the Thai U23 squad at the 2020 Asian U23 tournament held in Thailand and debuted in the 1-1 draw with Iraq.
Since then, Davis has been warmly welcomed into the "War Elephants" team, despite the regrets from his opponents in Southeast Asia. He played 13 matches for Thailand U23, scoring 2 goals both in 2022. The first goal was the goal against Singapore mentioned above, and the second goal was against Vietnam in the 2022 Asian U23 finals. Last year, after captain Chanathip Songkrasin was injured, Ben Davis was chosen by coach Mano Polking to replace him to attend the 2023 King's Cup. But it was not until January. In October 2023, Davis officially debuted for the national team in a friendly match against Georgia.
Currently, the Thai Football Federation as well as Ben Davis have not responded to the accusations from Singapore if he participates with the Fighting Elephants in the match on the lion island on December 17. But perhaps the "safest" solution for Davis is to stay in Thailand instead of returning to the old place amid hatred and suspended punishment.