Jamie Redknapp has heaped praise on Ben Davies and claimed that he was possibly the ‘Man of the Match’ for Tottenham during their League Cup win against West Ham last night, as he told Sky Sports Football.
The Sky pundit suggested that ‘players surprise you’ sometimes and he thinks Antonio Conte might just be thinking that with Davies given his performances.
Before Conte arrived, Davies was behind Sergio Reguilon in the left-back pecking order and his game time had reduced significantly.
But since the Italian has joined the club, he has started to play on a regular basis in a back three, including against the Hammers yesterday.
Spurs are now in the semi-finals of the League Cup and Conte will return to his old hunting ground in Chelsea after getting pitted against them.
Conte will need his players at their absolute best if they are to overcome the Chelsea test, as Redknapp lauded Davies for last night’s display.
“Players surprise you,” said Redknapp. “Sometimes, you come to a club and he maybe looked at, as a good example, Ben Davies, before he came.
“Would anyone have guessed that he would have played nearly all his games? And he has been fantastic.
“Today, arguably, Man of the Match. He knows the game. He knows the position. Back three, it might just suit him.”
Whenever a new manager arrives, there is always that one player that picks himself up from the deck and starts producing the goods again.
At this moment in time, Davies seems to be one of those players and he might just become a regular under Conte if he continues in his current ways.
This is a win-win situation for Davies because, on the international stage for Wales, he plays in the left of a back three for Rob Page also.
During Wales’ previous international fixtures, they played Liverpool right-back, Neco Williams, as a left-sided wing-back, with Davies in the three, which just goes to show how well he has taken to that role for club and country.
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