Leif Davis explains what has changed in his second Premier League chance with Ipswich

Leif Davis believes he has returned to the Premier League as a more complete player after admitting confidence and concentration were problems during Ipswich Town’s previous spell in the top flight.

The 26-year-old has started all five league matches under Gary O’Neil this season, scoring twice as Ipswich collected six points before the first international break.

Now in his fifth season at Portman Road, Davis also believes his experience means he has a responsibility to become one of the leaders within a significantly changed Ipswich squad.

Davis admitted he did not produce everything he was capable of during Ipswich’s relegation season two years ago.

“Last time out, I would say personally I didn’t give everything I could,” he said. “I was lacking confidence, didn’t feel confident, didn’t believe in myself.”

The left-back spent eight of his nine weeks away from competitive football working at Ipswich’s training ground during the summer, preparing physically for another demanding Premier League campaign.

That work has contributed to a promising start, particularly defensively.

Davis believes his previous experience against elite attackers taught him that even brief lapses are punished at this level.

“You can’t give that time and you can’t switch off in small moments of the game,” he explained. “You’ve got to be in the game every single second.”

Davis has also reunited with O’Neil after previously working with him at Bournemouth.

The defender described the Ipswich manager as “perfect for me” and believes the new coaching staff are helping him expand his game.

His positioning has changed in particular. Rather than remaining exclusively wide, Davis is now being asked to operate inside more frequently while still using the athleticism that has long been one of his biggest strengths.

That physical capacity remains closely monitored through his high-intensity running data, but Davis knows his development cannot stop there.

He believes his defending has already improved significantly, while two goals from five games demonstrate that his attacking influence remains intact.

Ipswich enter the break 11th after victories over Sunderland and Crystal Palace and defeats against Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton. Davis believes six points represents progress, although he feels their performances deserved an even greater return.

Davis wants to build on his encouraging individual start while taking greater responsibility as one of Ipswich’s longer-serving players.

For O’Neil, the international break provides another opportunity to integrate a heavily changed squad after an opening five matches that Davis believes showed plenty of reasons for optimism.