Calum Davenport

Shocking news today that West Ham defender Calum Davenport is in hospital following emergency surgery on both legs after being stabbed in an incident in or near his home in Kempston near Bedford.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are obviously unclear at this time but police have said that two men have been arrested in connection with it.

Mother

Davenport’s mother was also injured in the incident. She is said to be recovering from her injuries whilst the footballer’s condition is described as serious.

A twenty-five year old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and a nineteen year old man is also in police custody.

Attacked

Police have said that Davenport and his mother were attacked in the early hours of the morning and they have cordoned off the road to continue their forensic examination of the scene. Obviously with the matter being investigated no further information is being released at this time.

One witness has told the BBC that she was awoken by a commotion just before 5.00 am.

“I heard a lot of shouting. I just thought it was people passing by but then the ambulances came. I didn’t see the incident, I just heard all this shouting. The main person shouting had a very strong Caribbean accent.”

Other witnesses have told of seeing ‘a lot of blood on the road.’

Another witness told the BBC,

“There was some sort of row early this morning. We heard some shouting. He was stabbed in the leg several times. His mum was there and was attacked as well.”

Davenport made eight appearances for the England under twenty-one side and was a very highly regarded young centre-half. He burst onto the scene as a youngster with Coventry City and earned a move to Tottenham in 2004, costing them £1,300,000.

Struggled

His career then stalled a little and he struggled to establish himself at Tottenham and only made twenty first team appearances for them. He had loan spells at West Ham, Norwich and Southampton.

In 2007 he moved onto West Ham for a fee of £3,000,000, but again failed to fully establish himself being loaned out to Watford and Sunderland.

Potential

He has struggled with injuries and at twenty-six years old he has never quite lived up to his potential although clearly still had plenty of time to do so.

Whatever went on and whatever happens now, all of our thoughts are with Calum Davenport, his mother and their family and friends.