Jurgen Klopp has paid tribute to Liverpool defender Nat Phillips after scoring his first goal for the club on Wednesday night.
The Reds boosted their Champions League qualification hopes with a 3-0 win over Burnley to move fourth in the Premier League table with one game to go.
Phillips played a big role in the victory by not only producing a stellar defensive display at the heart of Liverpool’s back four, but he also scored on 52 minutes to make it 2-0 at Turf Moor.
Klopp has heralded the 24-year-old as one of the Premier League’s finest when it comes to heading the ball – and claims he could score more if he didn’t close his eyes just before contact.
He said to Sky Sports after the game: “We saw Nat Phillips flying past the ball with closed eyes again! His defensive heading is outstanding, some of the best in the league. Offensively there’s room for improvement because you have to open your eyes to score goals.”
Phillips also cleared one off the line at the other end of the pitch last night to prove himself an even bigger influence for Klopp’s side.
Steve McManaman said after the game that the Liverpool-born powerhouse may struggle for regular football next term – and he may be right.
Klopp has had an injury crisis of centre-back options for much of the campaign but once the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip are back, not to mention potential summer additions, it’ll be very difficult for the likes of Phillips and Rhys Williams to play as much as they are at the moment.
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