YORK City's latest full debutant Sean Davies has named manager Chris Brass as the player he looks to for inspiration.

Davies, 18, made his first City start alongside Brass in defence during Tuesday night's 4-1 defeat at Lincoln.

The Middlesbrough-born teenager impressed despite the team's struggles and afterwards he spoke of his admiration for the player-manager.

Davies said: "The manager is somebody I really look up to as a player. I look at his determination and try and emulate that when I go on to the pitch."

Having signed for City as an Under-15 schoolboy, Davies has progressed through the junior ranks and become a regular for the reserves this season.

His full debut came after a substitute appearance against leaders Hull City on Boxing Day and he admits that experience served as useful preparation for his maiden first-team start.

He said: "No-one told me that I was playing until an hour before kick-off when the gaffer called me into the office and said I would be playing left back which was pretty daunting against Lincoln because they are flying in the league. It was a complete surprise but he just told me to continue to do what I had been doing.

"I think I have been pretty consistent for the reserves and I think comings on as a sub against Hull helped because it got me used to it. You can't get any bigger than York v Hull and, even though I knew Lincoln would be hard, I knew it would not be as difficult as against Hull.

"I thought my performance was all right but I prefer to win."

Davies has broken into the first team at the same time as his long-time friend Lev Yalcin.

The pair played for Middlesbrough Schools under-13s together before signing for City and live just five miles from each other now.

And Davies, like Brass, has faith in his talented team-mate's ability.

He said: "We have known each other since being young boys and him being there as well for my full debut helped. He's very good at running at people and, once he gets going, you can't catch him really."

Davies normally plays as the middle man in a back three rather than the left-sided role in which he played against Lincoln but, if Chris Smith is ruled out again on Saturday because of his hip injury, he is more than happy to carry on in that position.

He said: "I'm happy that I got the game and, hopefully, I have showed the manager what I can do and he won't be afraid to put me in again."

Adam Boyd's late goal earned Boston United a point at home to play-off contenders Swansea last night.

Boston, who host City on Saturday, drew 1-1 thanks to Boyd's 87th-minute effort but have now failed to win any of their last four matches.

Updated: 10:50 Thursday, February 19, 2004