WEMBLEY DREAM
Tom seeks second chance
Bristol Rovers defender Tom Davies seeks fresh chance under the arch
AFTER missing out on Wembley once, Tom Davies is desperate to make amends with Bristol Rovers.
The 27-year-old was suspended for former club Coventry’s 3-1 League Two play-off final triumph over Exeter in 2018.
The centre-back played in 21 of the Sky Blues’ league games that season, featuring in the first leg of the play-off semi-final against Notts County before being given a retrospective ban for a stamp on defender Richard Duffy.
Two seasons on, Davies has joined forces with boss Graham Coughlan at the Memorial Stadium and been a stalwart in the Pirates’ back-line – appearing in every league game ahead of the weekend, as Rovers are in the play-off mix.
And, with memories of the 2017-18 campaign still fresh, Davies is desperate to help propel his new side to Wembley glory – this time with him on the pitch.
“That promotion-winning season at Coventry was a great time for me, but the play-offs were frustrating as I never got to play at Wembley,” he reflected.
Promotion
“I got given a three-match ban after the semi-final first leg, so it was a case of mixed emotions.
“I was ecstatic to go up, though the ban was really tough to take, as it meant my season was gone in an instant, but you have to deal with it and move on.
“I know it’s my job now to help Bristol Rovers get to Wembley again this season. We want to get promoted – we don’t want to settle for mid-table.
“It’s a tough league but we just need to keep picking up points and keep our home form as good as it has been.
“The experience we have in the squad is massive – we all know how to manage games, and that means we can get positive results.
“It’s also massive we turn the Memorial Stadium into a fortress – we knew that was something we needed to improve on, so it’s great to be unbeaten at home so far.”
Davies is enjoying quite a campaign since moving from Coventry over the summer, notching his maiden goal for the club in last weekend’s 1-0 victory over MK Dons for a third Rovers win on the spin.
He has been a man-mountain at the back and was recently ranked the league’s number one defender in blocked shots and interceptions.
The fan favourite’s route into football was far from conventional. He was released from Manchester United as an academy player in 2005 before failing to receive a scholarship at Blackburn at the age of 16.
But the late developer, who finally made his EFL debut for Accrington in 2015, says he’s loving life under Coughlan.
“Graham is really good to work with – he helps me a lot and I’m very lucky as he was a centre-back himself, and we do a lot of work in training as a defensive unit to help keep our shape,” he added.
“I’m very lucky that I’ve got a lot of people around me who believe in me, and I realise just how privileged I am to be in the position I am in.
“We can’t rest on our laurels – there is a real belief we can get promoted and continue our form. We’re moving in the right direction.”