OWEN Coyle believes Kevin Davies will seize a chance over the next eight crucial games to show he has a future at the Reebok.

The club skipper has scored twice in his last two appearances to put himself into serious contention for a starting place against Fulham this afternoon.

It marks an upturn in fortunes for the 35-year-old striker, whose position at the club appeared to be in the balance during the January transfer window.

With David Ngog getting the vote up front from Coyle, Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill looked to take advantage of the uncertainty by making a £250,000 bid, which was instantly, and perhaps tellingly, turned down by Wanderers.

Sources in the North East suggest that interest could be revived in the summer with Davies out of contract, but speaking before the Fulham game, Coyle reckons the battle-hardened front man will get more chances in the relegation run-in to show he is well worth a new deal.

“When you are not in the starting XI it can be for a number of reasons,” he said. “There are huge variables – it can be because of injury, loss of form or tactics.

“What I know is that the skipper has a huge part to play at Bolton Wanderers. I said that in January when lots of clubs were interested in him.

“I sat with him extensively and he knows my feelings. He has shown that he is very much up for the battle ahead.”

Davies has started just one Premier League game in 2012, but struggled with a knee injury during the 2-1 home defeat to Wigan Athletic in February.

That kept him on the sidelines for three weeks – but Coyle thinks his talismanic striker is getting back to his best form, judging by what he has seen in the last week.

“His quality isn’t up for debate but what we have had to do is get him fresh and energetic, which he has been,” the manager said. “He has shown he has got a big role to play.”

Fitting Davies into the 4-5-1 system that has been used extensively since Christmas has been the difficult thing for Wanderers, and when Coyle switched to 4-4-2 last week at Wolves, Ivan Klasnic was given a start alongside the hard-working Ngog.

But after scoring at White Hart Lane in the FA Cup quarter-final and at Molineux, it seems likely that Davies will return to the side either this afternoon or in Easter Monday’s trip to Newcastle United.