Ian Wright has shared that Ashley Cole thought that Mason Mount was a ‘better exponent’ than Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips in the attacking areas, as he told his own podcast.
The Highbury legend shared that he had to put the Chelsea legend right following his comments about the Leeds academy product.
Phillips was Man of the Match for England as they beat Croatia 1-0 in their Euro 2020 opener on Sunday.
It was the Phillips of old and new on show at Wembley from the weekend – the attacking youngster that broke through at Elland Road and the defensive rock that Marcelo Bielsa is now moulding.
And Wright shared that he had to remind Cole that it hasn’t been that long since Bielsa has started to change Phillips’ game in Yorkshire.
“You know when you watch a player,” said Wright. “Watching Phillips, because remember he got taken out of the Championship into the England squad. People forget that.
“Ashley (Cole) was speaking where he was saying ‘Kalvin’s in a position where maybe Mason Mount could have been because he’s a better exponent because he’s then in a position where he can support the front men and put that pass through’.
“And I had to say ‘listen, it was only in 2018 that Bielsa started to change Kalvin Phillips game’ in being box-to-box, getting upfront and supporting the forwards to the defensive midfielder you see today
“So, what you have to give Gareth credit for is the way Kalvin played was brilliant. The way he broke things up and everything. But he also had the licence to go forward and be what you used to be.”
It was without a doubt Phillips’ best performance of his career on Sunday and what a time to produce it.
Before the game, not many would have had the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ in their starting XI.
But ahead of Scotland’s visit on Friday, many will now be putting the high-pressing Leeds man in their team, even though others would also like to see the expert ball-carrier, Jack Grealish also brought back into the fold.
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