While Leeds United look like one of the toughest teams to beat in the Premier League, a former White is trying to rebuild his career away from Elland Road.
Leaving Leeds hasn’t quite worked out for several players in recent years, as many have struggled to get their careers going elsewhere.
Raphinha is an exception, having established himself as one of Barcelona’s best players, but several others have had to grind and wait for chances to play.
Some have even moved to Championship clubs to revive their careers, and one such player has just broken a five-year drought for a league goal.
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Kalvin Phillips scores first league goal in five years
Kalvin Phillips returned to Sheffield United on loan from Manchester City in the summer after spending the latter half of last season at Bramall Lane.
The midfielder’s career has nosedived in recent years, and once dubbed the Yorkshire Pirlo who started for England in big games, Phillips is now looking to revive it under Chris Wilder.
Sheffield United lost 2-1 at Stoke City on Saturday, but it was a momentous occasion for the midfielder who scored his first league goal in five years.
He produced a stunning free-kick just after half-time to give Sheffield United the lead and end his five-year wait for a league goal.
Stoke scored two late goals to pick up all three points, but it was a special moment for Phillips at the bet365 Stadium.
Before Saturday’s strike, Phillips last scored in 2021, when he converted another free-kick in a Leeds shirt against West Brom.
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He has never recovered from a bad move to Manchester City
Phillips was seen as one of England’s best midfielders, and his career completely transformed under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.
He joined Manchester City from Leeds in 2022, and since then, his career has gone only one way, with no recovery in sight.
The midfielder struggled to impress Pep Guardiola, who never hid the fact that he was not pleased with the player’s physical conditioning.
Two poor loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich Town did little for him, and it was a surprise that Sheffield United re-signed him after the midfielder struggled for fitness and form in his previous spell at Bramall Lane.
Phillips is unlikely to be in the reckoning for England again and a return to Leeds seems firmly out of question at the moment.
