A teenage prodigy who won numerous England youth honours and was once chosen as first-team substitute by City while still at school, David exhibited amazing versatility over his first few seasons in City's senior squad, appearing as a creative midfielder and in defence at wing-half before settling as an attacking left-back.

By this time his natural ease and cool authority had made him ideal material for the team captaincy, and when City got to Wembley in 1969, David became the youngest-ever Cup Final skipper at 21. Rarely missing a game, and amassing ten England Under-23 caps and several Football League honours in recognition of his elegant effectiveness, he led City back to the top flight in 1971 and looked set for a lengthy Leicester career when reigning champions Derby came in with a British record fee of £225,000 to take him to the Baseball Ground.

Five full England caps and a League championship medal (1975) deservedly came David's way, but he subsequently suffered a series of knee injury problems and left for the less demanding sphere of NASL football when he felt he was slipping from his own high standards of performance.

A testimonial game between current Rams and their championship-winning predecessors in December 1979 was Derby's fitting adieu to him, but he eventually rejoined former team-mates Bruce Rioch and Colin Todd on the coaching staff at Middlesbrough in July 1988. David then returned to Filbert Street in July 1991, twenty five years after his initial professional signing, as Youth Development Officer, and additionally assumed coaching responsibility for the youth team during 1994/5.