Sheffield United loanee Kalvin Phillips has outlined his determination to avoid seeing his career fizzle out following his post-Leeds United struggles.
During his Leeds days, Phillips developed into one of the Premier League’s most revered midfielders and established himself in the England squad.
His stock soared at a rapid rate and in the summer of 2022, Manchester City forked out £45m for his services.
Kalvin Phillips joined Sheffield United on loan from Manchester City on the final day of the winter window.placeholder image
Kalvin Phillips joined Sheffield United on loan from Manchester City on the final day of the winter window. | Kate McShane/Getty Images
Speaking to Sky Sports, Phillips has made it clear he wants to breathe life back into his career.
He said: “Any player that's been in my situation, I think first and foremost they'll come out and say not playing has been the major reason for them maybe having a dip in their career or whatever.
“And I just feel like staying idle, so many players have done it, where they've stayed at the club for so long and not played. And then their careers have fizzled out. I didn't want that to happen.
“I still feel like I've still got some life in me. I've still got some football in me to play, and I'm looking forward to the next three or four years.”
Ex-Leeds United teammate’s influence
The loan move to Bramall Lane has reunited Phillips with Patrick Bamford, who he played alongside at Elland Road.
Bamford played a key role in getting Phillips from Manchester City to South Yorkshire, first making contact over the possibility of a switch in December.
Phillips explained: “It was early December [when Sheffield United’s interest became apparent].
“Obviously I was thinking about going out and Pat texted me. He said ‘Chris [Wilder] is asking me to message you to see what you think about coming here to play a few games’.
Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford were teammates at Leeds United.placeholder image
Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford were teammates at Leeds United. | Bruce Rollinson
“And at first I was a bit like ‘I don't know.’ But then, the more I thought about it, the more I was like ‘well, why not?’. It's not going to harm me in any way. It's not going to do anything to my confidence.’
“I want to go out and play as many games as possible, and I knew that if I'd gone to a Premier League team, it would have probably taken me a little bit longer to get into the team. And they have fewer games, and I just wanted to play as many games as possible.
“So I spoke to Pat and, to be honest, I barely spoke to Chris. I just made my mind up. I spoke to my agent and said, I'd rather go to Sheffield than anywhere else.”
Working under Chris Wilder
Phillips made his first Blades start last weekend, helping the club seal a 1-0 win on the road against Portsmouth.
Phillips said: “Chris said to me in the first meeting we had, that he's a good judge of character. He feels like he can look at somebody and judge them by the way that they are and how they act, and he said that's the reason he brought me in.
Kalvin Phillips made his Sheffield United debut from the bench in the club's defeat to Middlesbrough.placeholder image
Kalvin Phillips made his Sheffield United debut from the bench in the club's defeat to Middlesbrough. | Nick Potts/PA Wire
“He obviously brought me in to play football as well, but he said he looks at the people first and sees what they’re like.
“I've always admired the way that Chris manages, I've always admired some of the stories I've heard about him, and I've always admired the way that he is, so I think it was just the perfect fit.
“I've come in and he's introduced me to the group, got me in playing straight away, and I'm just looking forward to playing, like I said, as many games as I can before the end of the season.”