Premier League legend backs ex-Leeds United man Kalvin Phillips to bounce back with words of wisdom

Arsenal legend Ian Wright is tipping former Leeds United man Kalvin Phillips to bounce back after two difficult campaigns. Since leaving Elland Road to join Manchester City in the summer of 2022, Phillips has struggled for traction in the game with his form and confidence dropping somewhat dramatically.

Despite getting his hands on three trophies, the midfielder's first season with City did not go to plan with injuries preventing him from really making his mark at the Etihad Stadium. However, his situation only got worse last season as Phillips found himself rooted on the peripheries of Pep Guardiola's first-team squad.

A loan to West Ham United came about in January, designed to give Phillips the boost he needed leading into Euro 2024, but his self belief took another knock as he failed to make a positive impact in east London. The 28-year-old was subject to plenty of criticism over the second half of the campaign and rather than cementing his spot in Gareth Southgate's squad, he was omitted from it altogether.

It leaves Phillips facing something of a pivotal summer as he strives to find a way to rebuild his career and get back to the type of form he showed so regularly in a Leeds shirt. That will likely mean a Man City exit after two damaging seasons but Wright still believes he made the right call to join the club in the first place.

“Sometimes you make the move, and it feels like the great move at the time, and people don’t understand," Wright said on Radio X's Chris Moyles Show. "Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. That didn’t work out for whatever reason, but he’s a great player and he will be back.”

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He added: "You’re talking about going to Guardiola’s Manchester City, who are arguably the best team in the world. And he’s going there. Unfortunately, like you said, it didn’t work out for him. But that happens. He’s just got to go again.”

Phillips had been strongly linked with a return to Leeds, but the Whites’ failure to win promotion rules out the possibility of a summer homecoming. However, if reports are to be believed, the England international isn't short of potential suitors.

Everton are the Premier League club being linked the strongest to his signature with Sean Dyche reportedly keen to work him at Goodison Park. Celtic, Rangers, Roma, Red Bull Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Lyon, Nice, Atalanta, Sevilla and Eintracht Frankfurt have also been linked with a move for Phillips, which a report in The Sun claiming he could favour a move abroad.

Phillips made 234 appearances during his time at Leeds, breaking through from the academy to make his debut in 2015 before going on to establish himself in the heart of the club’s midfield. He played an instrumental role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa and it was his form in a Leeds shirt that saw him called up to represent England for the first time. He has since been involved in two major international tournaments with appearances coming at Euro 2020 and the World Cup that followed in Qatar.