Kalvin Phillips was named England Men’s Player of the Year in 2021, but his career has since stalled at Manchester City.
Championship side Sheffield United signed him on loan on Deadline Day and he is likely to start in this weekend’s Steel City derby against Sheffield Wednesday.
In an exclusive interview with Tim Thornton, he revealed his belief that he still has big chapters to write in his career, his admiration for Chris Wilder and how pushing for promotion is a realistic goal for Sheffield United this season.
“During the first half, my lungs were gone. I was very stiff for the next three days.”
Phillips made his first start in Sheffield United’s 1-0 win over Portsmouth last weekend, but admitted it was difficult.
Sunday, February 22nd 11:30am
Kickoff at 12pm
His only appearance for Manchester City this season came in the final seven minutes of the Carabao Cup victory over Huddersfield in September.
But after spending so much time on the sidelines, he was happy to be thrown into the deep end.
“I want to play as many games as possible,” he says.
Phillips joined Sheffield United on loan on February 2nd.
“If I had gone to a Premier League team, it might have taken me longer to get into the team and I might have played fewer games.
“I would rather be left in the deep end than try myself. Chris[Wilder]has been very good with me, listening to how I’m feeling and if there’s something wrong or uncomfortable with my body, he’s right there to ask questions.
“I’ve really enjoyed being here.”
Phillips’ decision to move to Bramall Lane may have come as a surprise to some, but it made perfect sense for him as former Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford had helped persuade him to sign.
“The funny thing is, it was early December when I was thinking of going out on loan. I got an email from Pat saying that Chris had messaged him to see what he thought about coming here to play a few games.”
“I didn’t really understand it at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, “What should I do?”
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The Sky Sports Essential EFL Podcast takes a look at the Championship showdown between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday.
“I spoke to Pat, but to be honest I didn’t really speak to Chris. I just made up my mind, spoke to my agent and said I’d rather go to Sheffield United than anywhere else.”
“I’ve always admired Chris’ management style and the stories I’ve heard about him. It felt like a perfect fit.”
Asked how hard it was to stay focused at Manchester City this season while spending so much time on the sidelines, Phillips said: “Last year when I played for Ipswich, I got injured towards the end of the season. It was critical because I felt I was getting my rhythm back.”
“Then I had a long injury over the summer and when I returned to Manchester City, I knew my minutes would be limited due to the situation at the club.
“I didn’t really play much while I was there anyway, so I was just trying to get some good training in, get as fit as possible and work towards January.”
Phillips turns 30 in December and has two-and-a-half years left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium. But he is hungry to get back to his best and achieve more success.
The 30-year-old has played just 32 games for Man City since joining from Leeds in July 2022.
“I am a person who works hard and never gives up on what I believe I can do,” he added.
“I’m just going to play soccer to get back to where I was before. If I get up and shoot, I’m going to feel a lot better and have a lot more confidence.”
“Any player in my situation would say that not playing is the main reason for the downturn. So many players stay at a club for so long without playing and their careers disappear. I didn’t want that to happen.
“I still feel like I have some life in me and I still have a lot of football to play. I’m looking forward to the next three or four years.”
So will the next chapter be promotion to the Premier League with Sheffield United?
“With our team, it’s 100 percent achievable,” Phillips insists.
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Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Portsmouth and Sheffield United.
“We didn’t have the best start, but we’ve been doing pretty well lately. Winning at the weekend was big because we didn’t necessarily play our best football, but we dug in and got the three points.”
“We have the Steel City derby this weekend, a tough and exciting derby, then Coventry and QPR, so the Championship could go either way.
“If we focus on Sunday’s game, which is important for us, and prepare properly, we will be well prepared.”
Watch Sheffield United v Sheffield Wednesday live on Sky Sports Football from 11:30am on Sunday. Kickoff at 12pm
