Leeds United ace Kalvin Phillips stole the show for England on Sunday afternoon, and has been earning rave reviews as a result.
Phillips was arguably England’s best player in the 1-0 win over Croatia, helping the Three Lions pick up a victory to open Euro 2020.
Phillips was all-action throughout, and even played a superb ball to find Raheem Sterling for England’s winner at Wembley.
A more advanced role for Phillips
Leeds fans are accustomed to seeing Phillips in a holding midfield role, dictating play from in front of Marcelo Bielsa’s back four.
On Sunday though, Phillips was allowed to get forward with more freedom, knowing that Declan Rice was protecting the defence behind him.
Phillips recorded one shot on target, one tackle, one interception and 94% pass completion in a fine outing.
Redknapp’s praise
Pundit Jamie Redknapp has now raved about Phillips, telling the Daily Mail that he felt the Leeds star was ‘different class’ and ‘the boss’ against Croatia, believing that going close with an early shot gave him confidence moving forward.
Redknapp noted that Gareth Southgate has been looking at Phillips for a long time now, and his faith has been repaid after being questioned by fans when naming the teamsheet.
“Kalvin Phillips ensured the man-of-the-match selectors had an easy job yesterday,” said Redknapp. “In a midfield that consisted of some pretty household names, this 25-year-old player from Leeds was different class, and he could become the unsung hero of this tournament. Phillips hadn’t even kicked a ball in the Premier League when Gareth Southgate first called him up in August.”
“England’s manager has been tracking him since his Championship days, and he trusted him enough to start this Euro 2020 opener for England. His faith was repaid and then some.”
“In the first half, Phillips had a chance to score from a dipping volley. He displayed good technique in getting it on target, and I wonder if that settled him down a little. From then on, he was the boss. His passing, both short and long, was on point and he exuded comfort.”
“I loved watching it at Wembley, and he and his family should be incredibly proud of this performance. Some supporters were asking ‘Why is he starting?’ when the line-ups came out. Now plenty will be saying he should be starting against Scotland in the next group game,” he added.
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