NEW Wanderers signing Mark Davies has been handed his first call-up to the England Under-21 squad just days after his dream home debut for Wanderers.

The marauding midfielder, who starred in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Spurs, was named in Stuart Pearce 22-man group to face Ecuador in Malaga next Tuesday.

Signing just last week from Wolves for £1million, Davies had represented his country at every level from U15s upwards. And for Wanderers assistant, Chris Evans, the man who helped mould his career from the age of eight at Molineux, his call-up was especially pleasing.

“I’m absolutely made up for Mark,” he said. “He had a wonderful home debut on Saturday where he showed what natural talent he does possess, and now he’s been given an opportunity with England to continue his progression.

“On Saturday, it was the first time in my 30 years in football I ever saw a dressing room stand up to applaud a player – that shows the spirit we have in this place – and I know from talking to his parents only yesterday that he is really enjoying it here.

“He is a real crowd pleaser and I am sure he can go on to have a long and successful career in the Premier League.”

Davies commanding performance in midfield inevitably drew comparisons with Kevin Nolan but Evans does not think the 20-year-old is under any pressure to succeed the former club skipper and believes he will become a success at the Reebok in his own right.

“He can’t legislate for Kevin leaving the club,” he said.

“That happened, and the whole club has got to deal with it. But in Mark Davies we’re not talking about a kid who has come from nowhere – he is someone who burst into the Wolves squad not long after his 17th birthday and played 24 games on the bounce.

“A player who has played at every level for England and who has been tracked at one point or another by Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.”

Evans added that the club’s failure to add to their ranks on transfer deadline day was not for the want of trying.

“The manager has brought the age of the squad right down and knew exactly what he was looking for,” he said. “He made some well-documented bids, which were unsuccessful, but he was more than pleased with the three players he did bring in.”