“Well done,” read the text from a member of Marco Silva’s backroom staff shortly after England Under-21s’ 3-2 victory over Turkey on Friday. It was a standard congratulatory message that will be sent hundreds of times during the international break as clubs keep track of their players, but for its recipient, Tom Davies, it was more than that — it was a tiny glimmer of hope.



On the periphery of Silva’s Everton squad so far this season, and indeed for the last six months of the 2018-19 campaign, Davies captained his country to a battling comeback win at the Izmit Stadium, near Istanbul, in north-west Turkey. It was an assured display from the midfielder —making his first start of the new season — that belied his lack of game-time over the past two months, and caught the eye of club and country alike.



Three days later, Davies followed up his star turn in Turkey with another composed performance as Kosovo Under-21s were...