Leif Davis has turned into one of Leeds United’s biggest transfer mistakes in recent years, but no one could’ve foreseen a rise to the top as quick as this one.
Davis was arguably the stand-out player of Ipswich Town’s back-to-back promotions and is now carrying that form into the Premier League.
No defender has created more chances than Davis in the top-flight this season, ahead of superstars such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Josko Gvardiol.
Former Leeds and now Ipswich teammate Kalvin Phillips has tipped Davis to become an England international in the coming months and the form he is showing suggests he won’t be far away.
Barry Douglas has also made a similar prediction on Davis, who was the Scotsman’s understudy at Leeds for a couple of seasons.
Bridges shares what Davis told him before Leeds exit
Leeds were happy to let Davis join Ipswich for just £1 million in 2022 but after a poor loan spell at Bournemouth, no one really batted an eyelid.
Even after scoring three goals and providing 14 assists during Ipswich’s League One promotion winning campaign, Davis’ sale was still one that couldn’t really be argued against.
But it was last season where people really began to take notice as Davis registered more assists than any other player in the Championship to help Ipswich narrowly pip his former club Leeds to second place.
And after continuing that form into the Premier League, Michael Bridges has shared details of a chat he had with Davis just before his Elland Road exit, with the former Leeds striker backing him to go right ‘to the top’.
He told the Optus Sport Podcast: “I am going to give a massive shoutout there to a player Leif Davis at left-back. I was with him at Leeds United many years ago when he was one of the youngsters travelling with the team.
“I had a chat with him and Archie Gray, he’s from the area I am from in the North East, Wallsend. We went to the same boys club so I took him under my wing and had a little chat with him. He said, ‘I need to go and get game time but I don’t know where to go.’
“Since he has gone to Ipswich under McKenna he has been absolutely incredible. This lad can go all the way to the top and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is already on the radar of the top six in the Premier League. This kid is going to be the left-back of the future. Another marvellous performance from him.”
What Kalvin Phillips said about Davis recently
As mentioned, Davis has been reunited with a former teammate of his at Leeds in Phillips, who is now getting a first person view of his rise since joining Ipswich.
Phillips already believes Davis is one of the best players in his position across the entire Premier League.
He said: “I was surprised he wasn’t called up to the last squad. Against Tottenham I thought he was very good. He’s definitely one of the best in the league. I just feel like there’s space for a natural attacking left-back, which is probably the way that (Thomas) Tuchel will want to play.
“I feel like I’m expecting the call-up for Leif more than he is expecting it. I’ve not really said it to him much, because I don’t want to make him feel pressurised, but I do feel like his time is going to come and when it comes I just want him to be able to grab it with both hands.”
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