Europe the spur for refreshed Davies

Tottenham's hotshot has got his second wind as the season reaches decision time and now has far horizons in view

It was a good result for Simon Davies at the weekend. A 3-1 victory at home left his side, who have recorded an astonishing 11 wins in a row, second in the League and also kept alive the dream of promotion to the First Division of the Pembrokeshire County League.

Davies, Tottenham Hotspur's probable player of the year, Wales's confirmed player of the year and one of the most sought after talents in British football, was enjoying a rare Saturday off. Unsurprisingly for a young man for whom the passion of being a West Walian burns brightly, he had headed back to his family home in the pretty coastal village of Solva which is about as far west as one can get before tipping into the Irish Sea.

Two of Davies's three brothers – the youngest Chris, the goalkeeper and the second eldest, the striker Nathan – turned out for Solva AFC, the Tottenham star's first club, in the win against Hubberston.

On the previous Wednesday "Digger" (as Simon is known) had represented his country for the 12th time in the disappointing 2-2 draw with Bosnia in Cardiff. But it was just the sort of game the Welsh would have lost not too long ago and Davies – his nickname refers to his penchant for burrowing holes in the family garden when younger – acknowledges the significance of again digging deep.

"Everyone thought it would be an easy game but they were one of the best sides I have played against, to be honest," he says. "They way they moved the ball around... and they were technically all very good and strong."

The result, however, confirmed the Welsh side as the most successful in the nation's history – although it also served to deflate some of the wild optimism surrounding this current crop of players as they head towards qualification for Euro 2004. It is optimism on which the Welsh nation has surfed since they beat Italy 2-1 before a frenzied crowd of 72,000 at the Millennium Stadium. Davies scored.

"We had the Manic Street Preachers playing, Bryn Terfel – the place was rocking. Unbelievable. We put on such a great performance that night," he says with a broad smile. Unsurprisingly it ranks as his most memorable match – quickly followed by Spurs' 5-1 demolition of Chelsea in the semi-final of last season's Worthington Cup. Davies scored in that one too.

It is several months since he has been interviewed. Such has been his impact on the Premiership that Tottenham thought it best to turn away the endless demands on his time. Davies himself acknowledges that it has been a wearying season.

"I started off well and then over Christmas, personally, I felt a bit jaded. It is the first time I have played that many games in a row. I'm 23 now and I played 16 or 17 games and I got suspended and I was out and in for the next five or six games," he says. "And then I came back and I felt much better since. Now I feel fresh."

The next two months are critical. Spurs, dumped out of both cups early, lie seventh in the Premiership – tantalisingly close to the place in European football that they covet. Anything less would, frankly, be a huge disappointment.

"We are at the stage of the season where there are a lot of clubs around our sort of position and whoever puts the best run together has a great chance to go into Europe. If we can win our home games in particular we will be all right," Davies says.

Not so long ago – two weeks to be precise – his manager Glenn Hoddle was still harbouring thoughts of a place in the Champions' League. Then came the deflating defeat by Newcastle United.

Consistency is the problem, Davies concedes. "Sometimes we have a great game at home and wipe the floor with people and at other times we just don't quite hit it off. And that is the sign of all great sides – consistency – and we have not got that yet."

The importance of beating Fulham at home tomorrow evening should not be underestimated – not least because it is the first time Spurs have been live on television since the Cup humiliation at Southampton. "Our worst performance of the season," Davies readily agrees.

His own form has been outstanding, especially in the club's promising start to the campaign in which he benefited greatly from the return of Stephen Carr. "Such a great defender, with such a great engine," says Davies. It has also released him back into the orthodox right-midfield role he prefers.

Spurs clearly plan to build their future around him – that is if they can stave off the transfer speculation that has constantly surrounded Davies. He has been linked to Manchester United – not for the first time – but insists he loves life at Tottenham, where he has been for the past three years and clearly wants to stay.

Transfer talk is nothing new for Davies. After all his first manager was Barry Fry at Peterborough United – where the Welshman went when he was 14 after a spell with Norwich City. The old motormouth soon spotted his talent and was keen to talk about it. Aston Villa, Sunderland and Manchester United were all lined up as suitors for the "Peterborough Wonderkid" and Matthew Etherington, the young stars of the Third Division side. "It was great as a player, he got you a lot of attention," Davies says of his time under Fry. "But I just took it as a laugh. Barry being Barry he is going to do that. There was always talk in the local paper."

Despite a week's trial at Old Trafford – the club he supported as a boy – it was Spurs who made the move with director of football David Pleat signing Davies for £700,000 and Etherington for £500,000. A nought can now comfortably be added to those transfer values.

It was a baptism of fire. They made their debuts at Anfield and a first start at Manchester United. Despite playing under George Graham, it was not until the arrival of Hoddle that Davies started to establish himself. "He wants us to play. His advice is simple – just go out and enjoy it and have no fear."

Clearly he has taken the words on board and has hit the ground running ever since Hoddle came in and took to him straight away. "There were a lot of young players here and I wanted to make sure I wasn't left behind," he says. The sight of Davies running hard with the ball at his feet – one of the most exhilarating at White Hart Lane – illustrates there is little danger of that happening.