Bolton snap up ex-Liverpool defender Ben Davies from Rangers

The experienced defender has signed a two-year deal with the Whites and will officially join the club at the end of his contract in July ahead of the Championship season.

Barrow-born Davies made his name at Preston North End and earned a £2million move to Liverpool in 2021. He moved on to Rangers 18 months later in a deal worth £4m and has also spent time on loan with Sheffield United, Birmingham City – where he helped the Blues win the League One title – and most recently, Oxford United.

Joining David Watson as the second new arrival of the summer at the Toughsheet Stadium, Davies brings with him more than 150 games at Championship level and can play at either centre-half or left-back.

“It feels brilliant to be here,” he said. “I heard of interest from a few clubs but as soon as I knew Bolton were interested, this was the club I wanted to come to.

“It’s going to be exciting times back in the Championship after an excellent year last season. I’ve seen that the average attendance last year was over 20,000 and that was a massive pull for me.

“I think my Championship experience can help the team on and off the pitch. I’ve met with the gaffer and I like his outlook on football and how he wants to play.

“It’s going to be amazing stepping out in front of our fans, I’ve played here a few times and the atmosphere has always been brilliant.”

Davies made his name down the M61 at Deepdale – even playing alongside his namesake and Wanderers legend Kevin Davies in the Preston team which won promotion to the Championship under Simon Grayson in 2013/14.

He was snapped up by Liverpool and loaned out to Sheffield United in the Championship before sealing a big money move to Ibrox in the summer of 2022.

He played in the Champions League in his first season and made 38 appearances in all competitions and won the Scottish League Cup in his second season but struggled to make a major impact and was loaned out to Birmingham in 2024/25, helping Chris Davies’s side to a record 108-point promotion as champions.

His loan at Oxford United last season did not go according to plan with Matt Bloomfield taking the team in a different tactical direction than the man who signed him, Gary Rowett, and he was largely unused during the last few months of the campaign as the U’s slipped to relegation.

Nevertheless, Davies will be eager to prove himself back in Lancashire again having laid down some permanent roots.

Wanderers sporting director Fergal Harkin said he hoped to bring in “four or five” new signings before the pre-season training schedule begins at the start of next month – and signing the relevant free agents on the market was an important first step in the process.

Bolton's first scheduled pre-season game will be in Slovakia against DAC 1904 Streda on July 17.

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