‘Player burnout is BIG conversation in dressing rooms and strike action can’t be ruled out’, says Tottenham ace

BEN DAVIES says player burnout talk among Prem stars has increased since Rodri’s injury.

And Tottenham’s long-serving defender refused to rule out future strike action over the increased workload sparked by Fifa’s new Club World Cup next year.

Manchester City’s Rodri warned his peers were close to going on strike over the bursting calendar – days before the Ballon d’Or winner suffered a season-ending knee injury against Arsenal last month.

Player welfare is a hot topic across Prem dressing rooms and Davies said: “It’s something that players right now have been talking about.

“And it’s become a big conversation – and probably even more of a conversation since we saw Rodri discuss it and then have a pretty serious injury.”

Davies, 31, is Spurs’ PFA representative and pleaded recently for a three-week football blackout to help tackle the thorny subject.

Liverpool’s Andy Robertson then called for a taskforce of players and managers to be set up in a bid to solve the sport’s crazy fixture pile-up.

When asked if Robertson’s idea is a good one, Davies added: “It’s a difficult one right now. It’s probably a sensitive topic.

“When you have seen the unions in other sports, especially in the US, come together and in the past they have taken some serious and drastic action with strikes and stuff like that…”

Davies is referring to industrial action taken in America which has seen lock-outs in basketball, baseball and hockey.

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So does the Welshman ever see the threat of striking becoming a genuine reality?

He replied: “It’s difficult to say never. I don’t know.

“That conversation has picked up in the last year or so. In football I’ve never seen it before.”

Davies hopes for change but the Tottenham star believes it is down to the governing bodies rather than the players to sort out the calendar.

He said: “It’s a tough one. There are times when there are so many games and it feels very continuous.

“We wouldn’t mind a solid block of time away from football.

“But, ultimately, we are in a situation where there are a lot of games and there are a lot of playing competitions. You do want to be involved in them all.

“As much as players will say what they want or would like to happen, it’s probably out of our hands until the competition organisers agree on finding a schedule that works for everyone.”

Davies has made almost 300 Premier League appearances with Swansea and Tottenham.

The left-back has also won 90 caps with Wales and played at two Euros finals and a World Cup.

But Davies has played the same number of games for his country as his club – four – this season.

He has made three Europa League appearances – as well as one in the Carabao Cup.

Although, he is waiting for his first Prem action, he could be involved for Ange Postecoglou’s men at home to Rodri’s City in tonight’s Carabao Cup fourth round clash.

Davies, who moved to the North Londoners a decade ago and is in the final year of his contract, says Tottenham hold the cards on his future.

He added: “That’s probably in the club’s hands and not so much mine.

“I’ve been at the club a long time. My wife is from London, my son was born here.

“It’s definitely a huge part of my life. I’m very settled here right now.

“I do hope I will get more minutes. Sometimes in football you have to bide your time.

“All I can do is keep myself in as good nick as I can, work hard every day and when I do get those minutes then I have to do my best to show I am still capable of performing at the highest level.”

Davies, who attended a McDonald’s Fun Football session, said: “It’s incredible to see all these kids playing football.

“It shows how important programmes like McDonald’s Fun Football are to communities across Wales.

“As a parent, I love seeing kids getting active and having fun.”

Ben Davies was celebrating the latest free wave of McDonald’s Fun Football sessions this Autumn, available to all children aged 5-11 across Wales. Sign up now for your nearest free session at mcdonalds.co.uk/football .