Leif Davis ready to prove Premier League quality with Ipswich

Leif Davis believes he is far better prepared for the Premier League this time as Ipswich Town begin another top-flight campaign against Sunderland at Portman Road.

The 26-year-old was part of the Ipswich side relegated from the Premier League two seasons ago, a campaign in which he admitted his confidence suffered while facing some of the world's best players.

After Town secured another promotion by finishing runners-up in the Championship, Davis now returns determined to demonstrate that he belongs at the highest level.

“I’m ready for that challenge now,” Davis told TWTD during Ipswich's training camp in Germany. “I feel ready for it this time, I feel confident.”

Davis feels another year in the Championship provided valuable playing time and experience after Ipswich's previous relegation.

He also revealed he regularly returned to the club's Playford Road training ground during the nine-week summer break to prepare himself physically for another Premier League campaign.

“I spent a lot of time at the training ground when we were off for nine weeks, working hard and wanting to show why I am capable of playing in the league,” he said.

Confidence represents another major difference.

Davis acknowledged he struggled mentally during his previous Premier League season, particularly when coming up against elite opponents such as Manchester City and Liverpool.

“You’re playing against the best in the world,” he said. “To challenge yourself like that, you don’t want a better challenge.”

Ipswich's promotion was confirmed on 2 May, when victory over Queens Park Rangers secured their Premier League return.

That created a lengthy 16-week gap between competitive fixtures, but new manager Gary O'Neil has put his squad through an intense pre-season programme.

Davis described it as one of the hottest pre-seasons of his career, with temperatures regularly exceeding 30°C in Ipswich before reaching around 35°C during the club's trip to Germany and friendly against Union Berlin.

The left-back believes those demanding conditions have helped prepare the squad physically ahead of Saturday's Premier League opener against Sunderland.

Davis will now have the opportunity to show how much he has developed when Ipswich begin their Premier League campaign against Sunderland at Portman Road.

For both the player and club, the challenge is to use the experience of their previous relegation differently this time. Davis believes another Championship season and a demanding summer have left him considerably better equipped for what lies ahead.