Where will Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips start the 2022/23 season?
It is no secret that the 26 year old defensive midfielder has a few admirers after catching the nations eye with recent performances with the England national team. Although Leeds fans already know how special he is, gaining the nickname “The Yorkshire Pirlo.”
He was an integral piece of the Marcelo Bielsa jigsaw that won promotion from the Championship in the 2019/20 season and he has certainly put himself in the bracket of one of the best midfielders in the country.
Leeds born Phillips, an academy graduate since the age of 14, was given his professional debut in 2015, racking up over 200 appearances to date. He was called up to represent England in August 2020 and played in every England game at Euro 2020. He helped them reach the final, narrowly losing out on penalties to Italy. Phillips was subsequently named England’s 2020/21 Men’s Player of the Year.
After starting his career as a box to box midfielder he was converted into a traditional defensive midfielder under the guidance of Bielsa. He matured as a player and progressed under the Argentinian. He has great vision and he is a gifted passer of the ball, so it is easy to see why he has clubs keeping their eye on his progress. He has great experience at club level and achieved more than 20 England caps.
Leeds fans will be hoping they can hang on to one of their prize assets but like Raphinha, some top clubs are circling, hoping they can lure them away from Elland Road. It remains to be seen where Kalvin Phillips will begin the 2022/23 season, but wherever he will be, it will be interesting to see his progress at both club and International level.