Chris Davies expects midfielder Marc Leonard to continue progressing 'through the levels' as he bids to apply even more pressure to current first choice Birmingham City midfield pairing Paik Seung-ho and Tomoki Iwata.

Scot Leonard, who like Iwata arrived in the summer, began the campaign in the starting XI. But following Iwata's signing from Celtic late in the transfer window, he has largely bore witness to the blossoming partnership between his two teammates, who have soldered down positions in Davies' starting XI.

That's been a pity because Leonard is clearly a very capable young footballer who has contributed when he's been asked to; on Sunday, in the FA Cup at Blackpool, as part of a much changed team, he took the initiative in the middle of the pitch and produced a display laced with composure and intelligence.

READ MORE: Chris Davies might have to change Birmingham City’s plan to cope with League One goal machine

READ MORE: Tom Wagner sends Birmingham City message as Knighthead jet in for Stockport

READ: Predicted XI v Stockport as Chris Davies considers three calls

READ: Lyndon Dykes outlines his clear intentions after 'difficult' start

The purchase from Brighton's next port of call is more minutes in League One. Davies likes what he has seen of Leonard so far, both in a competitive environment and also on the training pitch. And with Leonard still only 22, his boss sees further room for improvement.

"Marc's been really good for us," Davies said. "He was involved for us in a really good run at the start of the season. He's very good on the ball, he's got great awareness of what is around him, he can play forward, he can play one touch.

"He's an honest lad who works hard. He'll put his foot in, but he's still young and still someone growing and improving. I'm challenging him to do that because I still think he's got a few levels to go through in his game."

Another eye-catcher on Sunday was Ethan Laird who, by comparison, has played regularly this season but certainly hasn't been utilised often at left-back. Asked to fill in on the left to deal with the Tangerine threat of the lively Rob Apter, Laird did so with aplomb.

"He was excellent," Davies assessed. "Their most creative force was Apter, who is a dangerous, left-footed right winger, but Ethan did a great job on him. It's a really unfamiliar role for Ethan. I challenged him - this was a job that tactically he can do and technically he can do, physically he can do. I thought he enjoyed it, he embraced the challenge. He was exceptional."

What would your XI be for Stockport? Tell us HERE

Black Friday is an annual shopping event of massive discounts. You can check out all the latest Black Friday weekend bargains and offers here.