Tue 17 July 2018, 17:10
Tottenham HotspurBen Davies was among the members of our first team squad to report back for training last week and the defender is champing at the bit to return to action.
All 12 of our players involved in the World Cup will return at a later stage but for those not involved in Russia, pre-season has well and truly started with over a week’s work already in the bag.
Ben was particularly keen to get back on the training pitch with Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales not involved at the World Cup.
“It’s lovely to be back,” he said. “Watching the football from the outside sometimes isn’t the best, so when you get the chance to return, you just want to get back playing football more than anything else. It’s nice to have a break but it’s great to be here now and I’m raring to go again.”
Ben certainly hit the ground running last season by scoring in our opening game at Newcastle United, coincidentally the same fixture we start with this year as we head to St James’ Park on 11 August (12.30pm).
His second of the campaign in 4-0 win at Huddersfield Town meant Ben had equalled his career-best goal tally for a season by the end of September.
The 25-year-old would go on to play 37 times for us in all competitions - the highest number of appearances he has made in any of his four seasons at the club - weighing in with six assists in his 26 starts in the Premier League.
Little wonder then that Ben was pleased with the level and consistency of his displays over the course of the campaign. However, the defender is not resting on his laurels.
“I thought I had a good season,” he said. “It was nice to be involved regularly and that’s all you want as a player. I was really happy and now it’s time to kick on again. You can’t rest on what you’ve done at this Club. It’s all about trying to improve and go one step further as a team.”
Ben's numbers...
2014 - Ben joined us from Swansea in the summer of 2014
26 - Premier League starts last season, his most in a PL campaign for us
6 - Premier League assists in 2017/18
2 - Premier League goals in 2017/18
128 - appearances for us in all competitions
39 - caps for Wales
