Bolton Wanderers midfield team-mate Mark Davies gives me a spark – Neil Danns

The 32-year-old Liverpudlian has played in every game so far for Neil Lennon's side this season – starting all but one.

Many of those appearances have been with Davies in the Whites engine room and Danns is a huge fan of the former Wolves man.

Having limped out of Saturday's draw against Leeds United at the Macron Stadium with an Achilles injury, Davies is an early doubt for this weekend's Lancashire derby at Preston North End.

But Danns is keeping his fingers crossed his colleague will recover to line up alongside him at Deepdale.

He said: "When you’re playing next to someone like Sparky it lifts you and your own game – the standard he has got in his locker is just unbelievable.

"People probably don’t understand just what he brings to the team based purely on watching him out there on the pitch.

"In terms of the distances he covers during games, he’s always right at the top of the statistics and as a result you want to push yourself to get up there with him.

"Playing alongside him has given me that extra incentive to give that little bit more that you didn’t know was in your own locker.

"Hopefully that’s been evident in that I think my own personal game had improved this season in line with him returning to the team."

Danns has been satisfied with his own form so far this campaign but is quick to point out the team comes first and a return of just one win in 13 Championship outings has angered the former Crystal Palace and Leicester City midfielder.

He says it is the most frustrating spell he has had in his career that has spanned 10 clubs and seen him amass more than 400 senior appearances.

"I’ve been pleased with what I’ve been able to do so far this season, playing regularly and doing okay," Danns told the club.

"Obviously, though, the most important thing is getting the results and unfortunately we’ve not been able to find the consistency that we know we’re capable of.

"The boys have been playing really well but the actual results haven’t been going our way.

"In all honesty it’s probably been one of the most frustrating times that I’ve had in my career so far in terms of performances and not getting the results that our efforts have warranted.

"You know, though, that if you continue giving your all the way we are then eventually the results will take care of themselves and that bit of luck we’ve perhaps been lacking in the last few months will finally appear.

"Of course, you look back over games and pinpoint key moments where you think “if that had gone our way, maybe things would have been different” – you only have to look at the goal I had disallowed at QPR as a prime example of that.

"The keeper literally threw the ball into me I didn’t even know he was there – and in a situation like that, it’s a very grey area in terms of what the referee does next.

"From our point of view, we obviously felt aggrieved it wasn’t given and then to concede late on as we did was a real kick in the teeth.

"But we’re professionals and we always have to put things like that behind us immediately and try to bounce back as quickly as possible."

Danns is not one to shy away from a challenge and as he approaches 100 games for Wanderers, he remains as committed to the cause as he was when Dougie Freedman made his loan permanent in the summer of 2014.

And he is relishing another big derby clash in front of the live Sky Sports cameras on Saturday evening.

He added: "If there’s a ball to be chased, I’ll be after it – I just have such an enthusiasm for the game and I love getting the ball back.

"It’s been a big part or my career, to hunt the ball down and really ruffle a few feathers.

"I’ve been doing a lot of extra work fitness-wise alongside changing my diet too to help make me as good as I can possibly be.

"I’ve been very lucky in the fact that under two different managers, I have been chosen a lot but I don’t take it for granted.

"I’ll never let my standards slip and it’s nice to know my efforts are appreciated."