Fit again Davies accepts he needs to earn his place

The former West Brom player, initially signed on a year-long loan with a view to the move eventually becoming permanent, missed the 2-0 success over Chelsea.

He was impressed by the performance of another newcomer, Zat Knight, and Martin Laursen at the heart of the back four and accepts he faces a fight to play against Manchester City at Eastlands on Sunday.

Davies said: "I was at the Chelsea game and, like everyone else, I was excited by the performance and the result. I'm not sure if it was too good a day for me personally though!

"The lads played well and defended like lions so I'm going to have a hard task on my hands to get into this team.

"What impressed me most was the way we worked for each other. We never gave anything up and the players were always backing each other up.

"That's how we need to be in every game. It is all well and good raising our game for Chelsea but we need to take that into all our games."

Davies is hoping to learn off the likes of Olof Mellberg - used at right-back against Chelsea - and Laursen after moving from The Hawthorns.

He said: "I see a lot of good centre-halves here and I hope to learn off the older ones like Olof and Martin.

"I've always been a regular wherever I've been but this is the time now when I need to earn it a bit more. Hopefully, if and when I get my chance, I won't let anyone take my place."

Davies insisted: "My fitness is good now. I was worked like a dog when I had my hamstring problem but that's what I needed so that when I did join the rest of the lads I was ready to compete.

"I'm definitely ready if the manager needs me for Sunday. The first weekend I came I told him I'd be ready if he needed me, but the smart decision was to give me the break knowing that the international break was coming up.

"Now I'm fit and as long as I'm in training I feel that I can do a job for the gaffer. So if he wants to pick me, I'm ready to take someone's place. It's almost been a mini pre-season for me."