Sign up for the big Everton stories from a fantastic season so far Get the newsletter Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Tom Davies has the bit between his teeth to prove “how good I can be” as he reveals the position he wants to hammer down at Everton.

The 21-year-old is determined to repay the faith of Marco Silva after he was handed a new four year deal to keep him at Goodison until 2023.

Davies was given the captaincy six times by Silva last term but would struggle to hold down a place in the team and finished the season having made only 10 league starts.

The England youth international also found it tough to stay in the side during the turbulent 2017-18 campaign but is now focused on breaking back into the team – and keeping hold of the shirt.

“I was buzzing and it shows again that the club has faith in me,” Davies said about his new contract.

“I want to play for Everton as long as I can and to see them give me the extension is brilliant for me, to know that I've got a chance to work here and show how good I can be.

“I think everyone here is behind me and wants me to do well but for me it's just getting that game time. I just want to play football and it was a bit of an on-off year last year and the year before when I was in and out of the side. I just want to be able to play again, get a consistent run of games going and find my form again. It's ultimately what I want to do and I want to do that for Everton.”

Asked what he has to do in order to convince Silva, he replied: “I know what I've got to do, I've got to be more consistent and bring more to the game.

"I've been in and out of the squad and the team so I just need to hammer down that place and show everyone how good I can be, which I know in myself I can be a quality player and I want to do that for Everton.”

Davies was forced out of this summer's under-21 European Championships with a shoulder injury but he is fully fit again and set to face Kariobangi Sharks today in Nairobi.

And the Academy graduate will be hoping to play in an advanced role in the team.

“Yeah it's good, it's back in place!” he said.

“I dislocated it and a bone came up. It was just a week so I couldn't do much training and if I had tried to play it might have come back out and I might have needed surgery which would have put me out for a couple of months.

“We had an in-house game against Notts Forest under-21s and I just went down on it and knew straight away I couldn't carry on.”

Davies added: “It's good to be versatile but I've always been an attacking midfielder and I think that's my best position where I can affect the game going forward. I do like playing in a more attacking role.”

The West Derby midfielder landed in Kenya on Saturday morning as part of a 22-man squad for the opening friendly of the summer.

But ahead of the game, Davies travelled with Ademola Lookman and Beni Baningime to the Mathare district of Nairobi to take part in a “pioneering” programme working with vulnerable girls living in the country.

The 'Let Our Girls Succeed' initiative is funded by the UK government and works with over 70,000 youngsters in the East African country.

Davies, Lookman and Beningime were also joined by Everton Ladies' players Danielle Turner, Simone Magill and Gabby George – as well as manager Willie Kirk – and took part in sessions put on by Everton in the Community coaches.

The seventy children that took part all took away a variety of Everton-related gifts and Davies said: “Some may have got very little or have challenges in their lives but they are so happy. Everyone has got smiles on their faces and that is beautiful to see. For us to come and make a little bit of a difference, it’s very rewarding.”