Contrasting fortunes for duo who once took Brewers’ centre stage
Football can be a cruel career of highs and lows and the contrasting fortunes of two former Burton Albion players demonstrates it.
Colston Crawford
looks at how things have panned out for former loanee Jacob Davenport, who is faced with attempting to restart his career, and academy graduate Marcus Harness, who is a man in demand.
MOST Burton Albion supporters who saw Jacob Davenport when he was on loan with the Brewers in 2018 thought they were watching a star in the making
The precise footballing schooling of City’s academy was evident in his every movement on the pitch after he arrived on loan in January in Albion’s second season in the Championship.
He was 19 then but now, at 23, he is being released by Blackburn Rovers after an injury-ravaged four seasons with them after leaving City.
Two other midfielders released by Rovers are Harry Chapman, who was on loan with Burton this season, and former Derby County man Bradley Johnson.
In 2018, Davenport, exuberant and skilful, seemed to have the world at his feet. While that againstall-odds season ended in relegation, he shone in 17 appearances.
He scored a marvellous goal in a memorable 2-1 win away to Barnsley. It was the game in which the Brewers kicked off and retained the ball for the whole of the first minute before Jamie Allen smashed in a long-range shot to put them ahead.
Almost the whole team had had a touch but Davenport registered the assist with the last pass to Allen.
When he then curled in a delicious free kick in first-half stoppage time to make it 2-0, Burton were on their way to climbing off the bottom of the table at the time, in February.
At the end of the season, Blackburn
paid City an undisclosed fee and handed Davenport a four-year contract. It should have been the start of something special.
Instead, he leaves having made only 36 appearances, of which only eight have been starts.
Davenport simply kept getting niggling injuries and on a couple of occasions, when he had put the problems behind him, he got the opportunity he wanted and impressed in the Championship. Then came another injury. Davenport finished this season fit and available but he could not force his way into the team. Manager Tony Mowbray, now departed, said: “He’s a lovely boy and I’ve told him so many times that he has to find personality, some anger and frustration in his belly when he’s not picked.
“He’s such a nice kid, he’s been brought up brilliantly and he’s a good footballer who’s just been unfortunate with injuries.”
At 23, Davenport has to believe that it is not all over for him, that time remains on his side if he can now stay fit.
You just have to wonder if Burton might be interested in giving him a chance.
DAVENPORT TROUBLED BY INJURIES AND RELEASED BY BLACKBURN