**Kalvin Phillips has received a message from Pep Guardiola around his loan at Championship side Sheffield United until the end of the season.**
Phillips secured a new lease of life in eleventh hour of the mid-season transfer window, signing a short-term contract at Bramall Lane to revitalise his career after a horrid time at the Etihad Stadium.
The 30-year-old has been a rare miss for Manchester City in the transfer window over the years, with Phillips not making the cut under Guardiola for several reasons and spending time on loan at West Ham and Ipswich Town.
Manchester City signed Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January and sanctioned exits for Oscar Bobb and Stefan Ortega Moreno, with director of football Hugo Viana further streamlining the first-team squad ahead of the business end of the campaign.
Speaking to reporters off the back of transfer deadline day in the January market, Guardiola was quizzed for his thoughts on Phillips’ loan move to Sheffield United for the remainder of the campaign.
“He’s trained in the last days because he was injured in the previous (weeks and months) and of course he has to take minutes to recover his best,” said Guardiola.
“And he has to play, he’s made some loans, and how he is as a guy, everyone is desperate for him to come back, play minutes, be his best because he deserves it.”
Phillips joined Manchester City in the summer of 2022 in the backdrop of a groundbreaking few seasons at boyhood club Leeds United that saw him establish himself as a regular starter for England under Gareth Southgate.
However, it has just not worked out for Phillips at the Etihad Stadium and City will be hoping the forgotten Yorkshireman finds his feet in Sheffield and seals a permanent transfer in the summer.
City have struggled for options in the middle of the park in the last 18 months – amid Rodri’s recurring fitness troubles – but Nico Gonzalez has filled in as a capable deputy for the Ballon d’Or winner and provided the latest confirmation that Phillips remains surplus to requirements.
The midfielder was unable to find a loan move last summer due to an injury as he stayed on with Manchester City to regain fitness, gain some minutes here and there – though he has hardly played at all this term.
Guardiola has always spoken highly of Phillips’ acceptance of his limited role at City and there is no doubt that the Catalan will be rooting for the former Leeds United star to turn the ship around at Sheffield United.