Tom Davies has cast doubt on his Everton future after expressing his desire to be earning regular first-team minutes.
The 24-year-old, who enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2016/17, has fallen down the pecking order in recent times as a result of injury issues and transfer arrivals at the club. Limited to only eight appearances last campaign after sustaining a serious knee injury, Davies has observed the majority of the matches this term from the substitutes' bench.
Frank Lampard recruited Amadou Onana, James Garner and the return of Idrissa Gueye during the summer transfer window, resigning Davies to a lesser role within the team in the process. Out of contract in the summer, it is clear there is every chance the central midfielder will move on in search of a fresh opportunity to get his career back on track.
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Making clear his current position at the club is far from ideal, the Liverpool-born star has admitted he is open to an exit unless afforded increased opportunities at Goodison Park. “I love the club and the city but ultimately I want to play games, whether that be at Everton or somewhere else,” he told the Athletic. “If I’m not going to get that here, it’s something I’m going to have to think about.”
While it is clear Davies' association with the Blues could well be drawing to a close, it seems he will have no hard feelings towards Lampard if he were to leave. The ex-Chelsea boss is the ninth different manager the Tranmere Rovers academy graduate has worked under since making his first-team debut in April 2016 and has left a lasting impression since taking charge earlier this year.
“The big thing is how well-connected he is to the team and fans,” explained Davies. “We’ve had a few managers that have sort of distanced themselves from the fans and maybe the squad, so it feels like us and them. He gets everyone together. That’s maybe where we’ve gone astray in the last couple of years. We’ve maybe tried to become something we’re not.
“We’ve always been hard-working, a team that fights. Yeah, we play football, but we’re aggressive, particularly at Goodison. That’s what we want to do — put pressure on teams, fight and kick. Nobody likes to come here and that’s coming back.”
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