Davinson: 'I love a big challenge'

Last season is, well, last season for Davinson Sanchez.

The Colombian international settled so quickly into the English game after signing from Ajax last summer that Ledley King, our legendary former skipper and centre-half, and team-mate Ben Davies both spoke about how easy he’d made it look.

The only player to start all eight of our Champions League matches in 2017/18, he made 41 appearances in all competitions and followed that up with some outstanding individual displays on football's biggest stage – this summer's World Cup in Russia.

After a short break following Colombia's elimination at the round of 16 stage by England, he's now back in the fold and working hard with the squad during our US Tour in preparation for another Premier League campaign.

"Last season was good but now... I love a big challenge," he said. "I want to get better, every season the target is to improve, to do more. It’s the same for the team and that’s about belief – belief in every game, playing well in every game.

"Teams raise their game against us because we are a team with a lot of quality and we need to be ready."

Davinson hopes he can use his experiences at the World Cup to his advantage on the domestic scene with us. "For me, it was a good World Cup," he said. "The most important thing was how we picked up from the first game – a red card, a penalty. People were saying we couldn’t do it but we had to do everything for the people. It gives us all a lot of belief. The most important thing is you believe in your quality."

There's no hiding from the fact that it's been a busy schedule for the young centre-half since arriving at the Club, but he insists he's feeling refreshed and ready to embark on another demanding season.

"I feel good," he said. "I’m here (in the States) with my team-mates and it's good. Okay, it’s important to enjoy your life as well, but I enjoy it here.

"The most important thing is to come back feeling good and to be ready for the start of the season. That’s important for us, to everyone, to come back in good condition. I feel okay. I’m ready."