Why is Kalvin Phillips not playing for Man City? – Kalvin Mark Phillips, born on 2 December 1995, is a talented English professional footballer renowned for his skills as a midfielder. Currently, he showcases his exceptional abilities as a part of the Premier League club Manchester City and represents the England national team.
Having started his football journey at the Leeds United academy, Phillips made his debut for the first team in 2015. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the Leeds team under the guidance of coach Marcelo Bielsa, contributing to their Championship victory during the 2019-20 season. Subsequently, Phillips earned his first international cap for England and played a crucial role in their runner-up finish at UEFA Euro 2020.
Phillips possessed the eligibility to represent England, Jamaica, or the Republic of Ireland due to his heritage. Opting to play for England, he received his first call-up by manager Gareth Southgate in August 2020. His debut match for England took place on 8 September against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
Interestingly, Phillips became only the third player in the 21st century to represent England before appearing in the top division of a country, following in the footsteps of Jack Butland and Wilfried Zaha. Expressing his gratitude towards Marcelo Bielsa, Phillips revealed his intention to present his first England shirt to the Leeds United manager as a gesture of appreciation after Bielsa had gifted him a playing shirt from his former club, Newell’s Old Boys, along with a message for him and his family to commemorate his first international call-up.
Phillips earned a spot in the England squad for UEFA Euro 2020, where he garnered immense praise from pundits, fans, and the global press for his tenacious and dynamic performances. He showcased his skills in every game that England played throughout the tournament, including the final, where they narrowly lost to Italy in a penalty shootout.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions, Kalvin Phillips was named England’s 2020-21 Men’s Player of the Year. He also made two substitute appearances for England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
While initially starting as a box-to-box or central midfielder, Marcelo Bielsa transformed Kalvin Phillips into a defensive midfielder before the 2018-19 season. Renowned for his precise short passes, excellent long ball distribution, and ability to initiate attacks while fulfilling his defensive duties, Phillips has been described as a ‘lynchpin.’
Bielsa himself praised Phillips’ style, highlighting his effectiveness in relocating the ball to more advantageous positions and providing defensive support when the team’s full-backs venture forward. Phillips has also demonstrated his versatility by occasionally playing as a centre-back under Bielsa’s guidance.
Fans of Leeds United affectionately refer to Kalvin Phillips as the “Yorkshire Pirlo,” drawing parallels with the legendary Italian footballer Andrea Pirlo due to their similar playing styles. Phillips’ ability to find pockets of space that can transform a simple passing move into a dangerous attack was highly regarded, particularly after his impressive performance against Croatia during Euro 2020.
Why is Kalvin Phillips not playing for Man City?
Pep Guardiola has stated that Kalvin Phillips was not included in Manchester City’s squad for the Carabao Cup victory over Liverpool due to concerns about his weight.
Pep Guardiola mentioned that Phillips was deemed “overweight” and mentioned that he will have a private conversation with the midfielder to address the matter.
Source: www.ghgossip.com
