KEVIN DAVIES received a hero's welcome as he prepared for a return to the scene of his greatest moment.

It was at Goodison Park two seasons ago that the Saints striker ran from the halfway line to beat the entire defence before hitting one of the goals of the season.

Tomorrow he goes back there with Saints after the sudden swap deal which took Egil Ostenstad to Blackburn where Davies suffered a nightmare year.

But his spirits have already been lifted by around 200 Young Saints who mobbed him at the club training ground yesterday.

The youngsters, all signed on one of the club's popular coaching courses, had been taken there to watch the players getting ready to face Everton. And they besieged Davies for autographs.

He laughed: "It is nice to be popular again. They were all singing away and chanting my name. It is a long time since anyone has been singing about me.

"It was a lovely moment and really made me feel part of things again. Hopefully it is a taste of what is to come.

"I have happy memories of Everton and I took a bit of stick from the lads who kept joking that all they need to do on Saturday is pass it to me on the halfway line.

"I don't even know yet if I will be in the team but if I am then a tap-in will do me as long as we win the game.

"I am just glad to be back and I can't wait to get up there and get on with things."

Davies is likely to come straight into the team as a straight replacement for Ostenstad. Provided Francis Benali shakes off a calf strain (see page 42), that will be the only change from the side which started the second half against Newcastle.

After his sizzling second-half display to turn the game against Newcastle, Stuart Ripley will keep his place on the right - even though Everton have tried to cut him out.

With no natural wingers following the sale of John Oster to Sunderland, the Merseysiders have trimmed the width of their pitch to barely the legal minimum.

Former Everton favourite Dave Jones has vowed though not to let it affect his team selection. He said: "It won't influence me one way or the other. I didn't even know they had done it.

"That's up to them but it will be the same for both sides and I believe it has only brought the pitch down to the size of The Dell.

"I just hope Stuart can keep his form going whatever the width of the pitch. This is a big chance for him to show what he can do although he is still struggling with his calves. We can't seem to get it sorted out.

"Likewise it is a big opportunity for Kevin Davies now. He has got a second bite at it and hopefully we can get the best out of him.

"He looked a bit nervous in training but he will soon relax and settle in again and with James Beattie hopefully only a week away and David Hirst still to come back, it gives us a strong forward line."

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.