Kalvin Phillips has revealed to the Leeds That podcast that he always remembers a moment when a Sky presenter told him that Leeds United simply wouldn’t fail to get promoted, ahead of their ill-fated end to the 2018/19 campaign.
Leeds were beaten 4-2 by Nottingham Forest that year, with Phillips sent off in the contest.
The Whites still remained top after the defeat, and looked set to earn promotion.
But they slipped away after a disastrous end to the campaign, which ultimately saw them lose out in the play off semi-final.
Leeds took on board a great deal of stick that year for failing to earn promotion.
And Phillips admits that after the Whites eventually went up last season he was delighted to prove so many of their critics wrong.
“It was actually the Nottingham Forest game. I got sent off and it was a bad tackle to be fair,” Phillips said, when asked to open up about a moment he always remembers as a player.
“I’d been sent off and I was speaking to the Sky presenter in the tunnel, and he just ‘said you’ll be fine, no team has ever not been promoted after being [top] at Christmas anyway’.
“I just remember that moment sticking in my head. He never came back to me after it didn’t happen and everyone was mocking us, but I took it to heart.
“It’s actually hurtful, to not actually do it is the worst feeling ever, and for us to do it was a good moment but it was kind of just sticking my fingers up at everyone.”
Leeds certainly have had the last laugh, as they have been nothing short of excellent since their promotion.
The Whites are already well on course to establish themselves as a threat in the top tier again, after a 16 year absence.
Leeds have taken 10 points from their first six games, and have caused problems for almost every team that they have faced so far.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
