Davinson - vigilance, application and progression

Davinson Sanchez has been encouraged by our performances since our return to action, but he knows that there is still work to be done, both on and off the pitch.

We remain unbeaten since the resumption of our Premier League campaign on 19 June, having picked up four points from a possible six, yet Davinson feels there is still much that he and his team-mates can improve on.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, the defender is also mindful that, while the COVID-19 pandemic has been subdued and football is back in our lives, the threat of the virus has not yet been thoroughly defeated.

And so, while we look to step forward and continue our recovery on the pitch, the Colombian international remains resolute that off the pitch, we must also maintain our vigilance to keep each other safe.

“The lockdown was a tough period, it was hard for everyone,” admitted the centre-back, who celebrated his 24th birthday earlier this month. “A lot of things were missed. Our lives changed; our social lives changed because we were not sharing the things that we normally would with others, especially with my team-mates, but also with my other friends and other social circles because I share my life with all of these people. Both football and life has changed a lot in that time.

“We’re still in that tough period. As humans though, we need to keep going. We just have had to adapt to the circumstances and still take care in this situation.

“As a team, we are now recovering a bit. I think we deserved more against Manchester United and the result against West Ham we’ll certainly take. It’s four points out of six which is fine, but we still have games to go and situations and areas to improve on. The most important thing is we take on that responsibility to keep that up and keep going. That will be very positive.”

Next up for us is our first away trip since the restart as we head to Bramall Lane on Thursday evening (2 July, 6pm) to take on Sheffield United.

Under the guidance of manager Chris Wilder, the Blades have impressed on their first season back in the top-flight for 13 years, especially with the use of their centre-backs in forays forward. But, for Davinson, his sole focus ahead of the clash is on pinpointing ways we ourselves can improve as a team.

“Sheffield will be a tough game,” he said, frankly. “The way they have been going... they are having a very good season. For us, we have to focus on improving what we have been missing in the last two games while at the same time, keeping up the good things which we have done.

“As a team, we have improved a lot during the lockdown. We have got some players back which has made us stronger and the way we have performed in the last two games has been a very good way to start. For us, with seven games to go, we’re going into each of them as if they are a final.”