Tottenham Confirms New Deal for Ben Davies

In a largely expected — but still welcome — development, Tottenham have signed Welsh international left-back Ben Davies to a new contract.

The 23-year-old is due to stay on with Tottenham until 2021. He joins half a dozen of his teammates in signing a deal with the club that will keep him in north London through construction of the new stadium and beyond.

Rumors that Davies was due for a new deal inspired no small amount of consternation among Tottenham’s fanbase.

As Danny Rose’s backup, Davies doesn’t get a tremendous amount of playing times normally. Mauricio Pochettino rotated the pair rather frequently last season, but showed a clear preference for Rose thus far in 2016/17.

When Rose went down injured in January, Davies was the man to bear the burden of the left defensive flank. It did not begin well, put mildly.

Tottenham slumped for much of February, with Davies’ lowest point yet coming in the 2-0 loss to Liverpool. His inability to contain Sadio Mané cost Spurs the match, and it could have been much worse.

His milquetoast performances over both legs of the subsequent Europa League loss to Gent only deepened the impression that Davies might not be good enough for this side.

If the club were already pondering a contract extension, that run might have changed their minds. Thankfully for Spurs and Davies, he’s found a way to pull out of that dive at just the right time.

In two wins over Stoke and Everton, Davies shined. Pochettino’s decision to return to the particularly deadly 3-4-2-1 formation — with Davies at left wing-back — played a big part. Davies ability to emulate Rose’s contribution to that tactical set served as a reminder of just how valuable an understudy the Welshman truly is.

That last bit is worth emphasizing: Davies isn’t likely to cut in front of Rose anytime soon. The England international is rightly considered to be among the best left-backs in the world. Barring an improbable sale or — God forbid — lengthy injury, Davies can’t expect to become a full fledged member of the starting XI.

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What he can expect, though, is a fairly reliable rotation spot. Tottenham want to stay competitive on multiple fronts, leaving plenty of room for Davies to impress in cups both domestic and international.

His willingness to sign a new contract though suggests Davies sees plenty of room to grow even in a relative bit part. It’s difficult to see how the club don’t benefit from a team player like that.