Nathaniel Phillips has admitted to Liverpool’s official website that he was feeling the effects of playing 90 minutes last night.
A tiring evening
Phillips was handed a rare start for Liverpool and he shone in their 2-1 win over AC Milan at the San Siro.
The central defender dealt with the threat of Zlatan Ibrahimovic well, as Liverpool came from behind to seal victory.
It was only Phillips fourth appearance of the season in all competitions.
And the 24-year-old admits he was feeling the impact of playing a full game by full-time.
“Obviously I want to be playing as much as possible but the competition is really difficult, so I’ve got to be ready when I’m called upon,” he said.
“I felt like I stood myself in good stead this evening. It was tough towards the end, I did get a bit fatigued – that’s going to happen when you play your first 90 minutes in a long time – but I felt overall I can be proud of my performance.
“And it just shows that the work that I have been putting in during training pays off.”
Huge performance
Phillips can be more than excused for feeling tired.
He was put to the test last night but came through with shining colours.
Phillips even managed to pull off a Cruyff turn inside his own box, just to round his evening off.
That moment of skill wasn’t something typically associated with the defender, who has become admired by his no-nonsense style.
But it did show another string to his bow, and his display is only likely to attract more interest.
Phillips looks likely to leave Liverpool in January, but his performances over the past 18 months mean that he will depart Anfield as a very popular figure indeed.
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