‘Terrific’, ‘got all the abilities’: Peter Reid’s prior praise of Everton man reportedly set for loan exit

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Everton midfielder Tom Davies is reportedly set to swap Goodison Park for Southampton on a season-long loan, according to talkSPORT.

The 22-year-old, who came through the Everton ranks, has made 123 senior appearances for the Toffees, but hasn’t started in the Premier League for Carlo Ancelotti’s side this term.

With Ancelotti bringing Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez to Everton over the summer, competition for midfield places has increased massively.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton, meanwhile, are on the lookout for a replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who joined Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

And according to talkSPORT, the Saints are in talks with Everton over bringing Davies to St Mary’s for the remainder of the season.

While Davies now looks surplus to requirements at Goodison Park, he has done well for Everton over the years, and was highly praised by Toffees legend Peter Reid just last year.

“I think his form has been terrific and it just shows you,” Reid told the Liverpool Echo last November. “It looks as though he’s got a desire which is great, the boy has done terrifically well.

“He’s got all the abilities [to be a top player]. He’s got a good engine and a good attitude about the game. He’s, in my opinion, been Everton’s best player recently.”

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Davies has shown glimpses of being a top player, his performance in the 4-0 win over Manchester City back in 2017 living long in the memory of Toffees fans.

However, the new arrivals at Everton have nudged him down the pecking order, so a loan switch may not be a bad call for the sake of regular first-team football.