Chippy Jordan Davies aims to be AFC Telford's cod-father of goals

Telford’s chirpy new striker prepares food, serves customers and washes the pots at the takeaway, near his Wrexham home.

The 24-year-old dished out a few batterings with former club Prestatyn Town – where he netted around 75 goals in three seasons in the Welsh top flight and second tier.

The goal rush led to inevitable interest and Davies knuckled down on trial at the Bucks to earn himself a deal this summer – but National League North football will not get in the way of him dishing up fish and chips.

“I work in a chippy. It’s not the best job to have but it’s not the worst. I enjoy it,” Davies says.

“It’s the best chippy around Wrexham to be honest, I’d go as far to say best in north Wales. We have people come from different parts of Wales.

“It’s not down to me, I’d love to take credit but it’s the bosses.

“I was playing football. You look at it as a job but I was getting bored at home. My mate messaged saying he had a job here.

“I love meeting new people and the regulars you can have a laugh with. It’s good to have a bit of fun in every shift.

“I do a bit of everything. I wouldn’t say I cook, we have specialised cooks, but if something needs to go in I’ll put it in. The majority of the time I’m serving, doing the pots out the back or helping out.

“They are really good with my football. I don’t work Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday and it’s not open Sunday so I only work Monday, Wednesday, Friday. If I need time off I can have it.

“I live on my own. It’s good money but it’s fun. Everyone in there is nice, it’s like a family and it’s a great chippy which tops it off!

“It’s very hard for me to prise myself away from the food but this year I’ve knuckled down and cut it out. One day a week I’ll have a treat day!”

The striker will hope to follow the path trodden by Daniel Udoh, who worked in a fish and chip shop in Shrewsbury during his golden campaign with the Bucks.

Davies, who had an unsuccessful spell at Nantwich Town in between his prolific Prestatyn stint where the Dabbers did not suit his style, caught the eye of Bucks boss Gavin Cowan and his would-be team-mates this summer with his confident, affable demeanour.

Asked about his ‘marmite’ reputation, he laughs: “They either love me or hate me. Usually it’s love!

“I’m a bubbly guy. You have to be like that as a youngster, to show you have a bit about you, or you’re in big trouble!”

Davies is determined to further his own reputation – as well as that of Borras Park Fish Bar – playing National North football this season.

“It’s surreal,” he adds shortly after helping Telford to a 1-0 friendly win at his hometown club Wrexham. “Sometimes I sit in bed and think ‘is this real?’ I’ve just got to back myself and listen to what the gaffer and boys are saying.

“I believe I can do it and the gaffer does.

“It was always going to be hard coming in on trial to a club with such big ambitions but I backed myself and it worked out.

“As soon as I came in he backed me straight away. He said I was something different and he put his faith in me.

“We can do massive things with what he wants to do this season.

“I was a new boy and I didn’t feel like it, my team-mates backed me and welcomed me straight away so it’s all good.

“Having raw attributes is always good because you are not predictable. I can go off the shoulder or come to feet. I believe I can do big things.”

Davies’ goal exploits almost went undiscovered. In his mid-teen years he couldn’t get a game for Brickfield Rangers Reserves – ‘the lowest league of men’s football possible’ – and was told he was no good.

Naturally the striker had an urge to allay his doubters and impressed on trial at Prestatyn Under-19s. Shortly after he was scoring 15 goals in the top flight of Welsh football aged just 17.

“I got 75 I think in three seasons,” he adds casually. “I scored 22 in all competitions in the top tier and the rest in the second division.

“When I left Prestatyn first and went to Nantwich I went off the radar. Nobody was talking about me, so I moved back to get my name back out there and luckily it worked.”

Prestatyn, like the rest of football, saw their campaign ended early due to Covid-19. Neil Gibson’s side missed out on a Welsh Cup semi-final.

Davies, who is also in the process of starting a one-to-one football coaching business in Wrexham, let his team-mates and manager know it was time to look for a new challenge.

After signing non-contract terms Davies will vie for a place in Cowan’s Telford frontline with experienced National League campaigners Aaron Williams and Jason Oswell.

He will certainly bring a fresh impetus and unique buzz to the firing line.

Cowan adds: “It’s one of my favourite things. I didn’t realise initially but then when I was told what his job was – we’ve all got to work and regardless of what that is everybody should be credited for the work they do, to get up and out of bed and earn an honest living.

“I grew up on an estate the police wouldn’t drive down, people were desperate for work and would give anything for any form of job.

“He loves it. He loves the customer service. He’s quite fortunate to earn a living with something he enjoys doing and hopefully he can do that with us too.”

The Bucks boss added: “It’s a hard one to judge, I can understand people looking at the level he played and say it’s miles but ultimately it’s opportunity. I love that word.

“I love people being given an opportunity and you can only score against what you play against.

“Jordan has completely exceeded expectation at the level he has been playing so we want to give him that opportunity to fulfil his potential.”

Davies brings all the raw attributes of a non-league striker trying to make his way in the game.

Cowan is looking forward to helping him on that path, providing the forward with more tactical awareness, but the Bucks chief is wary of trying to polish Davies into a diamond, instead keen to let his raw attributes shine through.

“Jordan might need cleaning up a little bit, but he may be one where the more you polish him you might take away an element of his play,” said Cowan. “We want him to be unpredictable, raw and unorthodox.

“We’ll tidy him up a little bit and will give him more detail and intelligence, but in terms of polishing him up... I quite like him the way he is.”