SKD interview

Loved this interview on the BEN, not 100% sure why! Think its to do with the class he shows and he somehow manages to say him and Eagles we're abit annoyed with having fans on their backs, without offending fans like some people we used to be associated with!

Skipper Davies relieved that Eagles has turned the tables

10:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in Latest By Marc Iles

CHRIS Eagles may not be naming the tunes in the dressing room anymore but Kevin Davies reckons he will soon be calling the shots again on the pitch for Wanderers.

New arrival Craig Davies has taken up residency as the Reebok’s DJ in recent weeks, where the Whites squad have been dancing to a different beat after a four-game winning streak that has pushed them within striking distance of the play-offs.

Eagles’ retirement from after-match iPod duties has come as music to Davies’s ears. But the skipper is delighted to see his team-mate bounce back from a difficult spell in his Whites career to date with a last-gasp winner to sink Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night.

“Thankfully, he’s stopped playing DJ – Craig Davies has come in to play a few songs now," joked Davies. “But that goal will do Chris the world of good. You could see from his reaction what it meant to him.

“You can’t keep him down because he loves his football. All he wants is the ball at his feet and to be out there playing, so I’m really happy for him."

Eagles has suffered for form since a section of fans had celebrated his substitution during the 2-1 victory over Burnley at the Reebok last month.

That led to rumours of a transfer request and claims that his family had been verbally abused by Bolton fans during an away game at Watford.

Davies admits his own confidence has taken a knock in recent weeks after a spell out of the team – but the club captain is happy to see a smile back on Eagles’ face.

“I play a bit of snooker with Chris, so I get a bit of time to chat and offer advice," he said.

“He’s a great lad and he’s confident in his ability. He’s had a bit of a wobble and the fans have been on at him, which I found a bit disappointing from a team-mate and player’s point of view.

“It is hard. I have been struggling myself for two or three weeks and confidence does play a massive part.

“He has got more ability than anyone else in the dressing room, as he proved at the start of the season. It just goes to show when you lose a bit of confidence that it can affect you.

“He doesn’t let it affect his training, he doesn’t stay down, and I’m sure he was disappointed not to start (against Blackburn). But he gets his head down and this would be a very quiet place without him."

Davies returned to the starting line-up against Blackburn after a four-game absence and concedes that adapting to Dougie Freedman’s squad rotation system has been difficult.

But with the team heading onward and upward, the battle-hardened front man is determined to play his part in the final stretch of the season.

“It isn’t about individuals," he said. “We’re in it together.

“If you are on the fringes or in the team you still want the same thing. People might have been a bit surprised that I was picked (against Blackburn) but all I can do is try to be a good professional, do the right things and train hard. That way, I think everyone will get their chance.

“It has been difficult being out of the side but I had a good chat with the manager and he told me how he was feeling, what I had to do, and it was what I needed. He threw me in, and there was a bit of pressure, but joking to the lads before I said we had to get a result because I want to stay in.

“I’ve been suffering for confidence and not scoring for a while but you’ve got to try and focus on putting that to the back of your mind and doing a job for the team.

“I felt I did okay after not playing for a while. It’s made me feel better and given me a lift.