Midfielder tipped to be a star by Coyle (From Leigh Journal)

Midfielder tipped to be a star by Coyle

10:30am Wednesday 7th July 2010 in

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OWEN Coyle is backing Mark Davies to have a big future at the Reebok.

The Wanderers midfielder’s progress stalled last season after a series of niggling injuries after bursting onto the scene in January 2009.

Davies joined Bolton in a £1million move from Wolverhampton and made an immediate impact with a man-of-the-match performance against Tottenham on his home debut.

But he has rarely hit those heights since as a combination of injury and poor form saw him struggle to nail down a first-team spot under former manager Gary Megson.

Coyle’s arrival in January heralded a new dawn for the talented 22-year-old and the Scot handed him a vote of confidence when he included him in his starting line-up against Arsenal in just his second game in charge.

Davies’ hopes were dashed when he was stretchered off after a shocking tackle from Williams Gallas – a challenge Coyle described as an ‘assault’ at the time – and again suffered a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

But now, fully fit, the Bolton boss has tipped Davies to shine this season.

“I’m really excited about Mark Davies and what kind of player he can develop into given the chance,” said Coyle.

“He’s got a lot of natural ability and it was a shame that through injuries and what-not, we didn’t get a better look at him last season.”

Davies’ opportunities could hinge on whether Coyle is successful in bringing Jack Wilshere back to the club on a season-long loan deal.

The Wanderers manager desperately wants to secure the services of the Arsenal youngster who plays in the same position as Davies, while Sean Davis will also be pushing for a start in the centre of the park after missing most of last season with a knee injury.

The arrival of Robbie Blake from Burnley and former Manchester City winger Martin Petrov will also increase competition for places.

But Coyle says working with the experienced new signings will be invaluable to Davies’s development.

He said: “He can look at players like Martin and Robbie and learn from them, no doubt, and I think the senior players know that I’m bringing two players who will push them as well.

“But from the young players’ perspective, like Mark, they can only benefit from having players like those two around.”