After beginning his career with Ajax , winning several domestic and international titles, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan , and later enjoyed a successful spell with Juventus , before being loaned out to Barcelona in Having struggled with injuries for two years, Davids returned to competitive football during a brief spell with Crystal Palace before retiring at the age of In , he was appointed player-manager at the English League Two club Barnet.
He resigned by mutual agreement as manager in January One of the greatest and most recognisable players of his generation, [3] Davids often stood out on the football field due to his dreadlocked hair and the protective goggles he wore due to glaucoma. Davids was born in Suriname and is of Afro-Surinamese and partial Jewish descent. After being rejected on two previous occasions by the club, [15] Davids started his career at the age of 12 with Ajax. While at Ajax, Davids was nicknamed "The Pitbull " by Ajax manager Louis van Gaal due to his fierce style of play in the team's midfield.
At the start of the —97 season , Davids moved to Italy to play for Milan. He soon became a permanent first team member in the midfield, usually playing on the left flank or in the centre, as a defensive midfielder, forming a notable midfield partnership alongside French playmaker Zinedine Zidane. Juventus manager Marcello Lippi once described him as "my one-man engine room".
Davids was often inspirational in Europe, playing 15 times as the club made it all the way to the —03 Champions League final before losing to Milan on penalties. He had also previously managed to reach the Champions League final with Juventus in , followed by a semi-final finish during the —99 season , as well as reaching the Coppa Italia Final.
Davids joined Barcelona on loan in January from Juventus. In the summer of , Davids permanently moved on to Italian club Inter Milan on a three-year contract.
