Former West Brom and Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies set for international debut at 38

Davies, who signed for Cheltenham Town earlier this year, has three England U21 caps to his name and has previously stated he may turn out for Sierra Leone, the country of his father's birth, before he retires.

That is now set to happen, with Davies named in their squad to face Benin on Saturday, before a clash with Somalia.

Writing on X, Davies said: "I’m delighted to formally announce that I will be joining the Sierra Leone national team for their upcoming friendlies.

"I thought the opportunity to represent the country of my father’s birth had passed but I feel very proud and humbled to have received the call.

"It will be a proud moment for me to pull on the shirt of The Leone Stars and make my family in Sierra Leone proud but most of all my dad. He did everything in his power to give me the best chance to become a footballer, so I dedicate this all to him.

"Looking forward to getting going."

Davies, who signed for West Brom for £3m from Luton before a big move to Aston Villa, has been called up for the England senior provisional squad in the past.

Back in 2008, he was called up by then boss Fabio Capello, but he failed to make an appearance.

In 2014, Davies stated that he had been on contact with the football authorities in the country of his father's birth, about a potential call-up.

He said: "I've had contact with [Sierra Leone] before but before I retire, if I haven't managed to live my dream and play for England, then I'll definitely consider going over and playing for Sierra Leone."

And Davies was also eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland with the FAI reportedly contacting him regarding a call-up, but he dismissed the idea.