Despite being a modest and soft-spoken 62-year-old, Kerry Davis created sporting history in the 1980s.
As the first black woman to play football for England, Davis opened the path for players like Hope Powell, Alex Scott, and Lauren James when she took the field for England against Northern Ireland in 1982 at Crewe’s Gresty Road.
Between 1982 and 1998, Davis would play for England 81 more times, setting a record with 44 goals—only surpassed by Kelly Smith (46) and Ellen White (52).
Davis has finally received recognition in the last few months.
Her pioneering accomplishments were recognized in March with the Keith Alexander award from the Football Black List. Two months later, she was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the 2024 Women’s Football Awards.
Although the striker’s accomplishments were long overdue, many people, including Davis herself, were unaware of the significance of her debut at the time.
“Playing for England was the most important thing to me in terms of competing at the highest level possible,” Davis stated.
It was therefore about being the finest version of myself, representing, and doing my absolute best. I wanted to be playing for England since it was my first game there.
