Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder praises former Everton midfielder after making first-team return following 'ridiculous' injury situation

Davies’ appearance, as a late substitute, was the one crumb of comfort following another poor result in the Blades’ season - a 5-0 home hammering at the hands of Aston Villa.

It was his first competitive appearance since September 30.

Davies, who joined on a three-year deal ahead of the season after leaving Goodison Park, had previously been sidelined due to a freak thigh injury sustained on the training ground.

Wilder, whose side visit Luton Town on Saturday, said: "No-one outside the group will have seen it, but I will tell you about his impact in training.

"You get this player from Everton, he's an established Premier League player, he knows his way around the Premier League, he's played for a big club, a demanding club, as a local boy as well, and all of a sudden he comes in to give you that Premier League experience.

"And no one's seen him because he's in the treatment room or down in London having a scan or an operation on his thigh or he's at home doing this or that.

"Ninety per cent of the football club, he's not seen. All of a sudden you see him doing a bit of running and integrating himself into training and bringing his experience.

"You just see it benefitting the group and certainly benefitting me because I can't wait to get him back fully.

"He's somebody that, if I was here at the start of the season, I would definitely have gone for as well. He's just had an unfortunate injury in a ridiculous situation.

"To get him back will be great with his Premier League experience, calmness, and most importantly, he's a really good player that wanted to come here and wants to do well here."