KEVIN Davies sent a message of heartfelt thanks to fans of Bolton Wanderers last night as he brought the curtain down on his 22-year playing career, adding: “I’d love to come back, one day.”

The former Whites skipper and England international has decided to hang up his boots and pursue interests in the media, local grassroots football and coaching.

Nearly half of his 820 professional appearances were made in a Bolton shirt, as were 85 of his 150 senior goals.

A player reborn after being signed on a free transfer by Sam Allardyce in 2003, Davies went on to become one of the Premier League’s most feared target men and one of the most popular players of the modern era at Wanderers.

Speaking to The Bolton News, the striker offered his appreciation to his adopted hometown and has not ruled out one day returning to the club in some capacity.

“Talking about Bolton Wanderers is like describing your first love,” he said. “You can’t replace it and I’ll always have strong feelings for the football club.

“What we did there under Sam Allardyce, the players, the staff and the fans, it was something very special.

“The place was such a big part of my life for so long.

“People ask me what I’m going to do now – and the honest answer is I don’t know exactly.

“I enjoy working with the Bolton, Bury and District Football League, I definitely like the media side of things – and if I could combine that with coaching, then I suppose that would be the ideal.

“Who knows? Maybe one day I could work again with Bolton, I’d certainly like to think that could happen.”

Davies turned down a handful of offers from home and abroad to continue playing, admitting he made up his mind to retire after leaving Preston North End this summer when a player-coach contract at Deepdale was withdrawn at the last moment.

That situation mirrored the disenchantment he felt walking out of Bolton in 2013 when the club failed to bounce back from relegation at the first attempt.

“I’m not normally an emotional person but there were a few tears in my eyes when I walked round the pitch after that Blackpool game,” he added. “It was a horrible feeling knowing I was leaving, on top of the fact we hadn’t got into the play-offs.

“Everyone knows how difficult things had been and I was a bit disappointed with how it ended up.

“But the good times far, far outweighed the bad and I’ve only really got good things to say about my time at Bolton.”