‘WE’RE BIGGER UNDER CONTE’

BY TOM HOPKINSON

BEN DAVIES is convinced that “something special” is now brewing at Tottenham.

The 29-year-old defender has seen the club evolve since he arrived from Swansea in 2014.

The three bosses he’s seen depart in that time – Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo – each enjoyed varying degrees of success.

But there is a different feel around the club under Antonio Conte, particularly after a busy summer in the transfer market, and Davies (above) is seriously enjoying it.

The Welshman, whose side face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground today, said: “We’ve definitely grown a lot as a club since I arrived.

“Everything we do now – the expectations we have, the clubs we are competing with – is definitely bigger than when I arrived.

“And the opportunity we have with the players we’ve signed, with the manager we have, to do something special is there now.

“When you can see the calibre of players that the club is attracting, you realise that it is a top club in Europe. That speaks volumes about where we’re at and what the club is setting out to achieve.

“There’s a passion to win. A passion to make sure you come out on top – whether that’s in training, in a game, or doing everything right away from the training ground. We’ve shown we can compete. It’s about taking that next step.”

There is excitement around several of Spurs’ new summer signings, although two of the players currently taking the biggest plaudits – midfielder Dejan Kulusevski (below) and defender Cristian Romero – arrived in the 12 months prior to this summer.

Davies added: “Dejan been exceptional, not just the goals and the assists but his all-round game. He’s someone we can always trust with the ball, he’s always involved in creating chances and he’s a total professional who gives everything every day.

“Cristian is great to have in your side, he brings that edge when you know we have to stand up against it.

“He’s brilliant with the ball and really helps us get out from the back, making sure we’re on the front foot.”

The question as ever is whether Spurs can finally take their first piece of silverware since the League Cup in 2008.

Davies said: “Winning trophies and challenging for the title is the hardest step to actually achieve.

“Aspiring to be the best team is where we have to aim and that determination is definitely felt around the place.

“But time will tell, when we play these teams, where we are at. We showed last year we can compete with them but it’s about being consistent and putting a whole season together.

“I don’t think we’ve played our best football consistently for 90 minutes yet so far this season.”