Mauricio Pochettino convinced me to stay at Tottenham, says left-back Ben Davies

Davies put pen to paper on a new contract earlier this month
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
James Benge29 March 2017

Ben Davies says Mauricio Pochettino convinced him to put pen to paper on a new contract at Tottenham.

Earlier this month the Welsh international became the 13th senior player to sign new terms at White Hart Lane since the start of the season despite interest from Crystal Palace in the January transfer window.

Davies has spent much of his Spurs career playing second fiddle to Danny Rose but has enjoyed an extended run in Pochettino’s side over recent weeks with the England left-back ruled out with a knee injury.

“All you want to do is play and at the moment I’m having a nice run,” Davies told reporters.

“Speaking to the manager, it’s all about improving as a player first and foremost. He said he wanted to keep me, so there were no doubts about signing.

“I’m improving as a player with the manager we’ve got so there is no better place to be.”

Davies has proven a reliable presence since Spurs lost Rose on January 31 and has allowed Mauricio Pochettino to continue with his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, with the 23-year-old playing as a left wing-back.

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Davies has plenty of experience of playing in such a system having lined up as one of Chris Coleman’s three centre-backs for the Welsh national team.

And while he prefers a central role to being deployed in wide areas Davies is happy to play wherever is required by Pochettino.

“I’ve played in a three with Wales and then wing-back at Spurs and I’m probably more comfortable playing in the inside three.

“But if the manager wants me to play there, I’ll do a job wherever. I think I’ve put a decent shift in.”

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