City in Focus | A season of progress for Jake Davies
FOLLOWING A FANTASTIC SEASON FOR City's u18s, WE CAUGHT UP WITH attacker JAKE DAVIES.
Jake has contributed with goals and assists for the U18s and his fine form has earned him a call-up to the Wales squad for the UEFA European U17 Championship in Cyprus this summer.
He was part of the side that earned qualification, along with teammates Jac Thomas and Ronan Kpakio.
“The season has gone well," Jake began. “I think at the start of the season, for me individually and for the team it wasn’t great, but as the season went on, we got better and I think I’ve improved throughout the season.
“Recently, I’ve been happy with my performances. Towards the end of the season I’ve been better, contributing with goals and assists. Adding that has really helped with my confidence, which has grown a lot.”
The City prospect has also gained experience at U21 level, linking up with Darren Purse's side.
Many of the U18s squad have had a taste of U21s football this season, with the likes of Tanatswa Nyakuhwa and Dakarai Mafico particularly impressing.
Jake continued: “My standout moment this season is making my Under 21’s debut and getting called up for the Euros.
“I’m really looking forward to this summer, it’s going to be a great experience out in Cyprus. It’s going to be really challenging with the teams that we are playing because we have Croatia, Austria and Denmark and they’re going to be strong teams, but we’re going to be ready to compete.
“I think the squad is in a really good place at the minute. We did well in the Elite Rounds coming second, we got unlucky against Sweden, which meant we finished second. I think we have a good chance to go far in the competition.
“I love playing for Wales as it's always a great experience. It's different to club football, you meet new faces and it’s just overall a great experience for me and it will help me on and off the pitch as an individual.”
Gaining further international experience over the summer, Jake will return to the Bluebirds next season in a better place.
“I think the Euros is going to be a great experience,” he added. “It’s going to benefit me a lot. I’m going to learn new things and it should give me confidence going into next season.
“Playing against that high level of players in the summer will push me even further, as it’s better for me when I come up against better players and is going to help me a lot.”