Steven Davis Feeling Closer To Form

Steven Davis, who scored for the reserves last night against Spurs, says he isn’t far from re-gaining the form that saw him as an automatic choice last season.

The Northern Ireland international said after the run out last night: ‘Obviously it was good to get a goal, it’s always good to score at any level. Hopefully this can drive me on to better things for the first-team. I felt I was getting back to my best when I came on as a substitute at Wigan and hopefully that can be the start of better things for me.’

‘I was happy to play for the reserves. As Kevin MacDonald always reminds me, this is where I came up through the ranks and the run-out did me good. It’s not going to be easy getting into the team, because we’re doing so well. But every player wants to be part of a team that’s at the right end of the table and I’m no different. I know things haven’t gone as well as I would have liked at the start of this season, but I’m determined to get back to the form I showed last season.’

Martin O’Neill added ‘I have watched the games from last season and I think there could be a number of reasons for what has happened. Steve is a young lad and he is basically learning the game. Sometimes when you step into a side that is not playing at its best, you’ve got no fear. You’ve gone in there and are playing pretty well and have plenty of confidence about yourself. Then you become more established in the side and, ironically, the wee things that didn’t concern you before now concern you and that’s all part of the process and of him coming to grips with it.’

He also says although the midfielder hasn’t reached the heights of last season he is still young and can get back there.

‘I have spoken to him. He is a very quiet lad and just that sparkle he had last season hasn’t returned yet but I’ve no doubt when he gets to grips with it all that it will do so.’

Still a top prospect, this is the trouble with not having strength in depth though I guess, it means sometimes when a player is out of form he can’t be totally rested as we’ve no other options. Last season he was being linked to Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson was impressed with his combatative style and ability to score.