Ex-Birmingham City hero lifts lid on 'goosebumps' moment v Aston Villa | OneFootball

David Davis provided a stunning moment for Blues in the Second City derby back in 2016

Birmingham City and Aston Villa are currently levels apart on the pitch, with one side looking to reach the Premier League for the first time in over a decade, whilst the other are now certified European regulars.

The Second City derby, though, has provided both sets of supporters - whether you are Blues or Villa - with plenty of iconic moments down the years, and these are still remembered fondly ahead of when the sides do meet at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park or Villa Park, and on the anniversary of the days they occurred on.

Unfortunately for the locals in the Second City and the wider West Midlands, this fierce derby has not been played out since March 2019, when Jack Grealish netted a 67th-minute winner for the Villans in B9 after initially being attacked by Birmingham supporter, Paul Mitchell, in the first half in front of the Tilton End.

That particular encounter was also the last of six which were played in the Championship in three successive campaigns after Villa suffered their only relegation out of the Premier League, and a first since 1987 at that.

It has also been well-documented that Blues haven't defeated their cross-city rivals in a league match since 20th March 2005, and have finished below Villa in the pyramid in every campaign since 2002/03, although they would like to change that soon.

However, as well as the likes of Seb Larsson and Nikola Zigic emerging as cult heroes for their goals in a fiesty EFL Cup encounter between the two, which Blues won 2-1 in December 2010 at the quarter-final stage before an eventual triumph over Arsenal at Wembley, David Davis' career at the club is also best remembered for his goal in the derby back in 2016.

David Davis describes 'goosebumps' Birmingham City goal v Aston Villa at St. Andrew's

Back in the early stages of the 2016/17 Championship season, Birmingham and Villa were in rather intriguing positions respectively, with the former appearing upwardly mobile on the pitch under Gary Rowett, whilst the latter had failed to shake off their hangover after being relegated.

After meeting in the EFL Cup 13 months beforehand, the derby on Sunday, October 30th, 2016, was the first league match between the two clubs in five years, and a first outside the top-flight in 29 years.

Add to this the sub-plot of Steve Bruce returning to B9 as Villa boss in what was just his fourth match in charge, and all the elements were there for a classic.

Villa took the lead in the first half when Gary Gardner - who would later sign for Blues - powered home a header from Jordan Ayew's free-kick, before Davis equalised 19 minutes from time, sending the home crowd into raptures.

Unsurprisingly, it still appears to be the most meaningful of his 11 goals in royal blue, and he recently told the Made in Brum Podcast how the moment felt.

"I'm already pumped up as it is. To be fair, even when 'Gards' (Gary Gardner) scored (for Villa), I thought we'd still be sound," he stated.

"I was playing centrally but on the right in the first half, then 'Cotts' (David Cotterill) comes on, and I'm in the middle, but I'm more the destroyer, landing on things, reading the game and sniffing things out. I was good at that.

"When it lands there, I take a touch, hit it. I can see it, and I'm like, 'that's in, you know!', 'that's f**king in'," Davis added. "Obviously, the rest is a blur.

"It was 'Gards' wasn't it (who I sent), so it was even better.

"Even now, I still get goosebumps. I know we played them in the EFL Cup (before), but it's the cup, isn't it? Gary Rowett was just getting his team together. We weren't full-strength and they weren't. There was no bite to it.

"With that moment, it was like euphoria."

David Davis had another iconic Birmingham City moment that season despite the club's mixed fortunes

Ultimately, it would prove to be a mixed season for Blues, with Rowett being dismissed less than two months later and being replaced by Gianfranco Zola, despite the fact the club were firmly in the play-off race at the time.

That said, although the campaign ended in a last-day relegation escape at Bristol City under Harry Redknapp, Davis further etched himself into cult hero status with a fine strike in front of the South Bank against his former side, Wolves, at Molineux.

It proved to be just one of two wins under Zola, with his strike coming five minutes after midfield partner, Maikel Kieftenbeld, opened the scoring on 27 minutes, before shushing his former supporters.

In total, the Smethwick-born midfielder played 194 times for Birmingham between August 2014 and January 2021, where he departed the club before featuring for the likes of Shrewsbury Town, Forest Green Rovers and current side, Kidderminster Harriers of the National League North.