Danny in the Sky Blue
On this day (16th July) in 2009 the Sky Blues received and turned down a £2m bid from Billy Davies‘ Nottingham Forest for our then left back (and now CCFPA member) Danny Fox.
Danny had been attracting much interest from other clubs for his Sky Blue performances and Forest had developed an increasing interest in poaching the Sky Blue defender. Davies, who was also interested in Cardiff City‘s Chris Gunter, told ‘This is Nottingham’ ,
“There is no doubt about it because we have players in the team who we do not want to fill those positions. We hope to conclude one or two signings over the next few weeks. Time is of the essence over the next week or so”.
Danny had started out as a youth with Everton in 2003 but didn’t break through into their first team. After loan spells (to gain experience) with both Gateshead and Stranraer, Midland side Walsall snapped him up in 2005. After 118 games and six goals CCFC engineered his transfer from Fellows Park in a double swoop alongside defensive colleague Scott Dann in January 2008.
Danny Fox in Sky Blue action
Both soon became Sky Blue fixtures (and in March both played for England U21s against Poland). Due to dual eligibility Danny later also went on to play for the Scotland International team (four caps from 2009-12)!
In two Championship seasons with the Sky Blues (2007-09) Danny wore the Sky Blue shirt 63 times and netted six times before moving north of the border for part of a season with Celtic. Next came spells with Burnley (2009) and Southampton (2014) where, for both, he experienced both Championship and Premiership football!
Forest did finally get their man five years later when he signed in May 2014 (after a loan spell in January) and he ended up playing 112 games for the Garibaldi Reds before, on 29 January 2019, leaving the Trentside club to join Championship outfit Wigan Athletic for around £300k.
Paul in the Sky Blue 1995
During his time with Nottingham Forest, Danny sported a beard dyed yellow to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (after a friend’s death from the condition) and was then appointed to an ambassadorial role for the charity.
Danny played only 21 games for the troubled Wigan club before departing in early October 2020. He returned on a short term deal the following month and then assisted Indian Super League side SC East Bengal for the rest of the 2020-21 season (sixteen league games and one goal). In July 2023 Danny perhaps surprisingly came out of retirement to assist Winsford United.
The ‘Latics went into administration 2020 at a time when they were managed by former Sky Blue defender and CCFPA member Paul Cook.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
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