The Euros have finally come to a close but the stories they told won’t be forgotten for some time and one particular tale which has gained a lot of traction is that of Kalvin Phillips.
Despite a slow showing against Scotland which earned the Leeds man unwarranted criticism, Phillips garnered glowing reviews throughout the tournament and played every minute of the final even out lasting substitute Jordan Henderson.
Even if he looked tired towards the end of the 120 minutes, it was another classy display from the Leeds midfielder which reminded the world of his quality but to be fair it has been there for all to see not just in the tournament but also in the Premier League this year.
Unsurprisingly, today a former England midfielder showered him in praise quite rightly noting that his quality has been obvious in the league all season despite the fact it was his debut campaign in the top flight.
The ex-international in question was Danny Murphy and he told talkSPORT today: “To play one season in the Premier League and build up your international experience while you’re doing that…it’s hard enough just adapting to play in the Premier League.
“He’s gone into the Premier League comfortable and confident, he’s just adjusted so easily.
“Then he’s been thrust into the international scene, then got put into a huge tournament where people are saying ‘should he play, should he not’, he’s just taken it all in his side and shown an unbelievable temperament.”
Interestingly, he spoke about Phillips’ quality beyond the number six role. Phillips has at times played further up the pitch for England and even conjured up the opening goal of the tournament for Raheem Sterling after being named in a more advanced role. It’s a position Phillips played in earlier in his career before Marcelo Bielsa turned him into a brilliant holding midfielder.
Today Murphy voiced the view that Phillips could be wasted in the role Bielsa plays him in: “I actually think that although Leeds play him in that holding role, I actually like him a bit further ahead with the insurance of someone behind him, because he’s technically good enough to make and score goals.
“As he progresses in his career, I think he could be a bit of a waste just having him in a holding role.”
It begs the question: would Phillips offer even more higher up the pitch or is he better in the deeper role he has made his own under Bielsa?
