Davis ready to progress at Southampton
Southampton midfielder Steven Davis is ready for a bigger and better season with the Premier League side.
The 28-year-old joined the club on a three-year deal at the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign from Scottish side Rangers where he was captain.
However, after making a respectable 22 starts for the newly promoted team last season, he will be hoping to become a more regular fixture and feels his preparations will aid this.
"I just want to try and progress from last season and obviously," he told the club's official website.
"It’s been important for me to get a good pre-season under my belt this year having missed out last year and that was a big factor in my season last year so hopefully I can build up on that this year and get off to a good start straight away."
Northern Ireland international Davis, who also represented Aston Villa in the top flight from 2004-07, has been with the club on their 18-day trip to Spain and Austria and feels that it will be instrumental to their development.
The tour has seen Mauricio Pochettino's side register wins against UE Llagostera, Palamos and Besiktas while falling 2-0 to Bundesliga side Schalke 04.
"It’s been a long trip for a lot of the boys but it has been essential in terms of getting the work in for the season ahead," he added.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"It’s gone alright (for me), I think it’s the same with everybody it’s about trying to get your fitness built up first and foremost, and getting your sharpness back and that will come with the more games you play and we’re on the right path."
Davis also confirmed that new signing Victor Wanyama, who came from his previous rival's Celtic, is fitting in well with the side.
The 22-year-old became the club's second signing of the close-season after lengthy exchanges concluded in the exciting midfielder signing a four-year deal.
"He’s a really nice lad to be fair," Davis added.
"He’s only obviously joined us and been here for a couple of weeks but he has settled into the squad already and we’ve had a few conversations about our time in Scotland as well so he’s getting on well."
The south-coast side will finish the build-up to the new campaign with matches against Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad before beginning the season against West Brom on August 17.