Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United are well placed to lift the Championship title – two years after Ruben Neves achieved the feat with Wolves.
Barry Douglas has described Leeds United team-mate Kalvin Phillips as the best player he has ever shared a dressing room with, comparing the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ to Wolves’ Ruben Neves in quotes reported by the club’s official website.
As Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolverhampton winning machine brought the Championship title to the Black Country in 2018, many were making the case that, in Neves, the best player in the history of England’s second tier was pulling the strings in Old Gold.
These days, the £16 million former Porto captain is shining in the Premier League on a weekly basis with Phillips arguably taking the mantle as the Championship’s most influential midfielder.
This former jack-of-all-trades has been turned into a master of everything by Marcelo Bielsa, making himself nigh-on indispensable to a Leeds side just nine games away from securing their place back amongst the elite.
And Douglas, who left Wolves for Leeds in a £3 million deal two years ago, is well placed to pass judgement on two metronomic midfield maestros.
“As a defensive midfielder and an array of passing Kalvin Phillips is probably the best I’ve played with. Similarly Reuben Neves, with his vision and passing, both can make passes look so simple that others can’t play,” Douglas says.
Phillips may be a Leeds local, the sort who bleeds white if cut. Though the West Yorkshire giants will know in their heart of hearts that keeping their star man at Elland Road requires them to finally bring Premier League football back to one of England’s most passionate sporting cities.
Like Neves, Phillips belongs at the top level.
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