CRAIG Davies has spoken of his Oxford United nightmare and slammed manager Brian Talbot for forcing him out of the club.

Davies joined Italian side Verona earlier this month after deciding that he could not take any more of life at the Kassam Stadium.

The 20-year-old claims that he was singled out by Talbot, and told to submit a transfer request so that he could leave the club.

"I was pushed out of Oxford, and was given no choice but to the leave the club," he said.

"Brian Talbot told me to write a transfer request and he forced my hand. I didn't want to go when I did, but he made me."

However, Talbot responded by saying he didn't deal with the transfer request.

"Craig was represented by a woman and it was dealt with by the chairman (Firoz Kassam) and Mick Brown (secretary)," Talbot said.

"I have to be honest, I was a bit surprised when I heard he was going to Italy. It's not something I expected."

Davies, though, felt he was not treated well by the U's boss.

"I heard at the fans' forum that Talbot said about me: 'Let's see where Craig Davies is in five years time'.

"Well, my answer to that is I would like to see where HE is in six months' time, because it won't be at Oxford.

"I have a four-year contract at a big club in Italy, and intend to use that time to become a better player.

"He won't turn things around at Oxford because since the money ran out at Rushden, he has achieved nothing."

Davies, who won a full Wales cap last year, made his debut for Serie B side Verona ten days ago when he came on as a substitute for the last 25 minutes of their 3-2 defeat by Brescia.

But the former Manchester City youth player wants United supporters to know the full story behind his departure.

"The last few months have been so hard for me," he said.

"I have been getting booed by the fans, but I can understand that because they didn't know what was going on.

"Whatever the fans thought of me, I always clapped them at the end of the match and had a lot of respect for them.

"The manager has been saying this and that in the press, knowing that because he introduced this rule that players under 21 could not talk to the media, I could not respond.

"Well, I'm not an Oxford United player any more and I can say what I want now.

"I had the chance to go to Sunderland a while back, but felt it was too soon for me, and then, of course, there was the interest from Charlton.

"I admit that I wanted to join Charlton, because who wouldn't want to go to a Premiership club?

"That move fell through because the chairman wanted too much money, but in the end he has lost out because he hasn't got as much as he could for me.

"But when that happened, I just wanted to knuckle down to work at Oxford.

"I was happy to stay at the club, but I have just been getting so frustrated with everything.

"When I first said 'no' to Verona, it was because everything was happening too fast and I didn't have any time to think about things.

"But when I got back to Oxford, and came into training, I was completely ignored by the manager he didn't even have the courtesy to say anything to me and just thought that I needed to get out as soon as possible.

"Luckily, Verona had given me more time to think about things, which is what I needed, and I decided I had to join them."

Davies admits that he never got on with Talbot, but feels that he was the victim of some harsh treatment by the former Rushden and Oldham manager.

"Brian Talbot has been telling everyone I have got problems off the pitch which is untrue, and if I was as bad as he makes out, I wouldn't have just listened to what he had to say, I'd have replied to it," he said.

"I was just singled out so much all the time that it was a joke both in training, in matches and in the paper.

"Whatever happened, it was always Craig's fault and there's only so much of that you can take."

Talbot commented: "What I said at the forum and I know the exact phrase I used and I have it on tape was that in five years' time I'll let people make their own judgement about Craig Davies."