Kalvin Phillips has reunited with his former Leeds United teammate Patrick Bamford at Sheffield United after he agreed to join the Championship club on loan.
The former Leeds star joined Sheffield United on loan from Manchester City, who have agreed to pay a massive portion of his wages to offload him during the winter transfer window.
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Phillips joined Sheffield United late on deadline day, and the Blades believe that they have pulled off a coup by signing a player who played for England in major finals and won promotion to the Premier League with Leeds.
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has managed to get the best out of Bamford since the striker joined the club in November and has been backed to do the same with Phillips.
Patrick Bamford played a big role in helping Sheffield United to land Kalvin Phillips
Wilder revealed that Sheffield United opened talks with Phillips and his agents early in the transfer window to ensure that the club remain in the frame for his signature.
The Sheffield United boss revealed that Bamford played a big role in convincing Phillips by talking positively about Sheffield United and the atmosphere inside the club.
He insisted that the club knew that a deal would only happen in the final 24 hours of the window, as Phillips had other options on his table as well.
Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: “We had our card marked out for Kalvin at the start of the window, and we asked the question to keep us in the frame..
“To be fair, the agent did, and Pat did – undercover agent Pat Bamford, and we talked about us in a really positive way in terms of what we are trying to do and the feel that we want and the perception of what our club is.
“We managed to speak to him, and it came about really late. But we knew it would be the last 24 hours, we had competition, and it fell our way.”
Phillips hopes to enjoy a Bamford-like revival under Wilder
The former Leeds player is back in Yorkshire and will play in the Championship for the first time since being part of the Whites’ promotion-winning side in 2020.
Familiar with the demands of the second tier, his experience is expected to be a valuable addition to the Sheffield United squad.
Kalvin Phillips’ Championship record
Championship Career Stats
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Wilder has already managed to coax improved performances from Patrick Bamford this season and will now look to ignite a similar resurgence from the ex-Leeds midfielder.
A strong spell at Sheffield United could create new opportunities later in the campaign, with Phillips likely to seek a permanent move away from Manchester City in the summer.
At a crucial point in his career, Phillips will be hoping Wilder can deliver the same kind of boost he has already given to Bamford this season.