The defender has made 19 appaearances for Liverpool but hasn’t played since November 2022
A Liverpool defender with just two Premier League appearances in the last four seasons is expected to leave Anfield on a permanent basis this summer as a series of Championship sides fight it out for his signature.
Nat Phillips, who was born in Bolton, and who spent large chunks of his youth in the Trotters academy, joined Liverpool in 2016 when he was 19-years-old but had to wait another three years before making his professional debut after completing a loan move to VfB Stuttgart.
The 6ft 3in defender made 19 appearances on loan in Germany’s second tier before being recalled mid-way through the 2019/20 season as the Reds ended a 30-year-wait for a Premier League title.
Phillips was mainly restricted to simply taking part in training sessions during this period but did show he could be trusted on occasion in the FA Cup when he played the full 90 for a much-weakended Liverpool team as they ran out 1-0 winners against Everton in the third round.
Nat Phillips was lauded as a ‘monster’ by Jurgen Klopp
Nat Phillips had to be patient to get his opportunity to play regularly at Liverpool but the 2020/21 proved to be his most pivotal in a Reds shirt as he became an unsung hero during the team’s unprecedented injury crisis.
Overall, the centre back racked up 21 appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, playing a focal role in helping the team qualify for the Champions League after an incredibly shaky period particularly in March where the team lost four of their five league matches.
Phillips notably scored against Burnley in a key 2-0 win and stepped up against the mighty Real Madrid to help the team to a commendable 0-0 draw at Anfield despite ultimately being eliminated in the Champions League quarter-final.
Klopp referred to Philipps as a 'monster in the air' and said his performance was 'incredible' during a 2-1 win over West Ham that season and added on The Match of The Day: “He's a brilliant guy, smart guy, intelligent, everything. He's not easy on the eye, he's not Messi but who cares?”
Phillips went on to play just seven more matches for Liverpool after 2021 and only two in the league which both came in the 2022/23 season, with the most recent being a three minute cameo during a 3-1 win over Southampton in November 2022.
He’s otherwise had loan spells at Bournemouth, Celtic, Cardiff City and Derby County with the bulk of his appearances coming at Championship level. He crucially played 33 matches as Derby avoided relegation last season and scored once on the penultimate game of the season in a crunch 1-0 win over Hull City.
Nat Phillips is expected to leave Liverpool this summer
The Athletic reports that Nat Phillips’ nine-year love affair with Liverpool is likely to come to and end this summer with promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion emerging as the early favourites to sign him. They claim a number of Championship sides are looking at the defender.
The Baggies were relegated from the Premier League in 2021 and have missed out on the play-offs in three of the last four seasons.
They recently parted ways with manager Tony Mowbray, whose return was unsuccessful to take a gamble on a first time manager in Ryan Mason.
The 33-year-old retired from football due to a head injury in 2018 but has forged a strong career as a coach working under Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou among others. He formed part of the coaching team which won the Europa League and has taken interim charge of the North London side on occasion, most notably in a Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
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