Sean Davis is "leading by example" with his "quiet leadership," Assistant Coach Chris Armas said.
Davis, the third-year Homegrown player, said that getting his string of starts in 2016 really helped him gain chemistry with the team and he hopes to build on that moving forward.
"I’m starting to feel less like a rookie and a little bit more like a veteran," Davis said.
"Definitely not like the older guys," he joked.
Davis started 11 games in 2016, including seven straight in August and September, and scored two goals and added three assists.
Armas said Davis is "beyond his years, in terms of maturity."
"I do feel a lot more comfortable with the group," Davis said. "I feel that my leadership abilities will come out more and more, the more games that I get."
He worked this winter with Sacha Kljestan, and it shows, according to Armas.
"He clearly, once again, has put in a lot of work in the offseason. He’s come in flying," the assistant coach said. "He plays the way we want to play. With the ball, can join into the attack ... He just has good energy, high energy and the optimism that I think is important."
With an opportunity to step up this season with more playing time, Davis has set personal goals for himself.
"I want to be good on both sides of the ball, in both boxes," he said. "I want to be a complete midfielder."
Davis said he hopes to build upon his growing body of work, identify his strengths and weaknesses and "look at the system that Jesse [Marsch] is putting in place and do my best to help the team."
"That’s where my head is at right now," the midfielder said. "Each day, just improving and getting sharper."
