Here's every word the Tottenham Hotspur defender said after the match in Australia against Sydney on Wednesday
Ben Davies spoke for the first time this summer about what's going on at Tottenham after they won a 4-2 penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC.
Davies, who signed a new contract this summer after 12 years at the club, played the first 45 minutes of the match in Australia at the Allianz Stadium.
Mathys Tel opened the scoring for Spurs with a perfect free-kick 29 minutes in, curling the ball into the top right corner of the net.
Sydney levelled matters in the 55th minute when Spurs substitute Kota Takai cut out a pass from the home side only to deflect it for his compatriot Takahiro Sekine, who ran through and scored.
Luca Williams-Barnett, Sandro Tonali, Andy Robertson and Dane Scarlett then all scored their spot kicks in the shoot-out to ensure the north London side won on the night.
Our Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Davies after the game. Here's the full transcript from his press conference at the Allianz Stadium.
What was it like to be in the defence with three young players?
I thought it was a good test. Like you said, they're all very young lads, but in the world of football you've got to grow up quick and you've got to get into the swing of things as early as you can. And they've been really good.
They've helped us a lot on the training pitch and they had a good opportunity to start tonight and I thought they stood up to it well.
This stage of pre-season, players are getting differing minutes, it's all kind of mix and match, is that tricky to navigate?
Yeah, I think that's exactly what it is. Everyone comes back at different times depending on when they finish the season. So, yeah, it can be a bit, like you said, mix and match at times, but you have to concentrate on yourself and hopefully by the time the season comes everybody is on the same page.
What are the aims for the season and what does it feel like in the camp? On the outside it seems like it's a very different Tottenham to last season?
Yeah, I think we've quite outwardly shown a lot of ambition with the signings we made and we're excited as a group. We've got an excellent, excellent coach that's come in, putting a stamp on the team and I'm really excited to see what happens this year.
Obviously there's been a lot of reinforcements in your positions, how do you see your role moving forward?
For me, right now, I'm fully focused on getting back fit after a pretty bad injury at the end of last year and this is a part of it. I've had lots of good conversations with the coach and I'm here right now and looking forward to continuing like that.
You took on a leadership role within the team last season, do you feel like you bring some kind of seniority to a group that is pretty young and kind of new as well?
Yeah, definitely. I think I've been around football a long time and that experience definitely counts for something. I'm here to help the club and my team-mates as much as I can and I'll keep doing that.
You've seen lots of top coaches at the club, how does De Zerbi compare?
Yeah, he's great. He's really, really impressive. I think even towards the end of last season to come in in the situation that he did and the job that he did and what he was able to do, not just on the pitch but off it for a group that was lacking a lot of confidence.
It was really impressive and we feel lucky to have him.
You played alongside Malachi Hardy today and he's one of the top defenders coming through the academy. What do you make of some of the players?
It bodes well for the club, I think. These are boys that when I did some coaching a couple of years ago that I was coaching at 16s and 17s level. So to have them playing with me now, it's credit to the academy and the coaches for the good work they've done down there.
What's Luca Williams-Barnett like to play with?
He's a really top player. He's got a lot of potential. I think you can see the qualities that he's got. I think the next step is developing his habits in the game but to have a player like him that's got no fear, that has the confidence to try things in games, doesn't get affected if he loses the ball. I think he's got a bright future ahead of him.
On Andy Robertson, as a leader yourself, have you noticed his impact about how he's helping the group?
He's come into the team and he's a player I've played against a lot but he also brings a lot of experience to the group. It's early days at the moment but he's settled in straight away and I'm sure he's going to be a big help for us.
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
What is it that is so special about De Zerbi for you as a player?
Firstly, he speaks incredibly well and very passionately. He's able to really implement his style on the team pretty quickly. He's just a man who's obsessed with football.
The details that he brings to you are incredible. It's really just a pleasure to work with him. Even at my age, as someone who has been around football a long time, you feel like you're learning new things pretty much every day. I can't speak highly enough of him.
Is he very different to any coaches you've worked with before him?
All the coaches I've worked with all have different skill sets. Like I said, very detail-orientated, very demanding of what he expects when he's on the ball. But I think as a player, if you feel like a coach is helping you every day to improve, that's all you can ask for.
Is there an excitement to get playing as a team, to show what you're going to look like this coming season and the new direction of what the club might look like?
Yeah, of course. To be honest, the guys that are here are turning up the games now. It's important that everybody learns and gets an opportunity to play in this kind of style of football. When we get some boys back and the guys are up to speed, then it's exciting times.
How has the Sydney experience been for you?
Sydney has been great. We've been treated incredibly well here. I think it was a tough test tonight. Sydney played some really nice football. They challenged us off the ball as well as on it.
It was a real competitive test. I think they look pretty good for the season. I think they look good for the season.