Martin O’Neill, the Aston Villa manager, claims defender Curtis Davies is pushing hard for a first team recall after impressing for the reserves following his infamous debut against Leicester City in the Carling Cup.

Davies has yet to start a Barclays Premier League game for Villa since moving from West Bromwich Albion in an initial loan deal which could eventually be worth around £10 million.

The England Under-21 centre-back claimed he played like “a pub player” in the surprise defeat by Leicester in late September - his first game for six months after recovering from a broken metatarsal.

Since then he has had to watch from the sidelines, with O’Neill preferring to partner Martin Laursen and Zat Knight in central defence.

O’Neill, though, is confident it will not be long before Davies forges a place in the first team at Villa Park.

“Curtis Davies has come here and he has said himself this is the longest spell he has been out of the first team anywhere in his career,” he said.

“But I haven’t signed him for four or five games, I’ve signed him for the next x number of years and I want him to be a really big player for Aston Villa which I am sure he can be.

“This current spell - although he may not see it like this - will give him some sort of incentive so when he gets into the team, as he will inevitably, that he is in there to stay. He is pushing for a place. His reserve performances have been excellent and he is improving.

“He wasn’t best pleased with his performance against Leicester in the Carling Cup but that is not to be held against him forever and a day.”