Is Ben Davies the Answer to our new Need for a Left Centre-Back?

After an anticlimactic encounter with Everton, it's time to seek out the positives. I'd like to draw attention to our often unnoticed Welshman, Ben Davies – how impressive he was against Everton, and how he could prove to become a vital player for us under Conte.

Signed in 2014, Davies is a veteran at the club these days, having made 238 appearances. He was Pochettino's first signing, costing around 14 million, in a deal with Swansea that included Michel Vorm.

Humble and intelligent, he's a more reserved character, who dutifully goes about his business in the background. He comes across as a model professional, and one it seems managers and teammates enjoy working with.

He was very close with Pochettino, and it seemed fellow countryman Gareth Bale was pleased he was there when he re-joined us last year.

This is his tenth Premier League season, he's also played in the Champions League and the Euros over the years. With such a wealth of experience, I feel a lot of fans think he's older than he is – at 28, he's still a player in his prime.

He has struggled to cement a starting spot in recent seasons. As a left back, and not being the paciest of players, if he bombs forward, it's difficult for him to get back and catch the lightning fast wingers we see in the Premier League.

His tackling and passing skills are pretty good though, and he could prove well-suited to the left centre-back position. Conte is known for playing a 3-5-2 formation, and in his first match as Spurs boss, he entrusted Davies in that back three alongside Dier and Romero. Admittedly he struggled in that first game, and some fans were saying Sánchez or Tanganga would be better options, or more commonly, that we need a new centre back altogether.

The thing that pleased me about Davies' performance against Everton, was it seems he's realised the potential of playing a vital role in a Spurs team under a trophy winning manager, and he showed a dogged determination to prove he can step up and play the part.

He had an excellent game, and in certain moments of strong play I mistook him for Højbjerg. The two were both wearing red boots with white ankle tape. He does have a bit of that Højbjerg-like chest protruding running style too, and funnily enough, he spent 3 years living and playing football in Denmark as a boy.

Throughout the match he was confident in his tackles, and assured in his passing. He seemed under instruction to make passes inside to the feet of Son, and he did just that on multiple occasions. He also won us a number of free-kicks.

Tackles of note included an excellent sliding challenge on Richarlison (below), after he'd snuck in behind Dier. Davies read the game extremely well and timed his tackle to perfection. Had he not, Richarlison would have either been through on goal, or as last man, Davies would have received his marching orders. It showed guts and a tenacity that shone through in his performance all afternoon.

Another example was when he stopped a dangerous looking Everton counter attack in its tracks – following a Spurs corner, Reguilón lost possession to Townsend by the side of the area. The ex-Spurs man broke away, driving towards our end of the field, but Ben Davies, who'd been up in the box for the corner, came sprinting back to kill the counter by sliding in and cleanly knocking the ball out for a throw in. It allowed Spurs time to get back and reset into their shape, and was one of the many times he covered for Reguilón, who spent a lot of time attacking up the left wing.

He even took on an ambitious shot from outside the area that wasn't too far from finding the top corner. Given the fact we failed to register a shot on target, who can blame him for having a go?

Fair to say, he was up against Everton youngster Anthony Gordo, Andros Townsend and Richarlison, and if Calvert-Lewin had been fit, he would have faced a sterner test. So we'll have to wait and see how he performs in the coming games.

Let's hope he keeps pushing on, and that he stays fit, as he has had injuries over the years. Linked with a move away from the club in recent windows, his current contract runs until 2024.

To round off with another point on his character, even his squad number seems to indicate his out of the limelight persona – number 33. With most left-backs wanting the number 3, Ben seems to have settled on having two 3s on his back. It’s a good idea I guess, as it's never likely to be taken, so no arguments, and if he ever became a club legend, players later down the line would be handed the honour of wearing the iconic number 33 shirt, once worn by Ben Davies.

Ok, that last part is a bit tongue in cheek, I'm not expecting him to suddenly start pulling up trees, but you have to remember that Conte is a manager who gets the best out of those willing to work for it. He turned Ashley Young into a title winning left wing-back aged 36. He won the Premier League with Victor Moses as his right wing-back. It was an encouraging performance from Ben Davies against Everton, and it makes it interesting to see how he develops, if at all, under Conte, in that new position on the left side of a back three.