Kalvin Phillips impressed in a seemingly unfamiliar role for Leeds United in midweek, but was it unfamiliar?
Adam Forshaw has revealed to The Yorkshire Evening Post that Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has spent every training session as a centre-back under Marcelo Bielsa.
Phillips was used a make-shift central defender in Wednesday night’s 2-0 win over Ipswich Town.
The 22-year-old, who graduated from Leeds’ Thorp Arch academy, won rave reviews for his performance.
But the vast majority of the youngster’s career has been spent in central midfield, including most of this season under the renowned Argentine coach.
That being said, Forshaw, a £4.5 million signing from Middlesbrough in January, claims that Phillips was well prepared for his heroics in midweek, given that’s where he operates in training under Bielsa.
“It’s a bit of a masterstroke and I think Kalvin would say the same,” the midfielder told The YEP. “He’s been surprised but from day one in training that’s where he played. He [Bielsa] didn’t ever play him anywhere else.”
It does indeed look like a masterstroke and it’s fascinating to see where he winds up playing in this evening’s visit of Nottingham Forest.
Gaetano Berardi will be absent, having come off midway through the first half against Ipswich, but Pontus Jansson may return to the first XI after serving out a one-match ban against the Tractor Boys.
Liam Cooper will keep his place, but it looks like the Whites might need another centre-back for what could be another three-man defence and off the back of Wednesday, it could well be Phillips.
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