Speaking on England’s official Twitter page, Kalvin Phillips has shared a heartwarming gesture regarding his former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Phillips, of course, is out in Qatar at the moment as England try to win their first major trophy for 56 years, and it’s fair to say that Phillips has come a long way since the last tournament.
Back in 2018, Phillips was nothing more than a mid-table Championship player, but now, he’s playing for the reigning Premier League champions and is one of England’s most important footballers.
One man who deserves massive credit for Phillips’ improvement is Bielsa. The Argentine transformed Phillips into a fantastic holding midfielder after years of playing as a number eight, and the Yorkshire Pirlo is seemingly well aware of Bielsa’s influence on his career.
Indeed, speaking on England’s Twitter page, Phillips admitted that he actually gave Bielsa the shirt he wore on his England debut.
Phillips gave Bielsa his shirt
The Manchester City man spoke to Ben White about this gesture.
“What did I do with my first England shirt?” Phillips asked.
“Gave it to Bielsa,” White said.
“Yeah,” Phillips confirmed.
Great gesture
This is what makes Phillips one of the most likeable footballers out there.
There aren’t as many footballers who are as humble as Phillips, a lot of players are rather egotistical and view their first international cap as a rite of passage in some sort of way.
However, Phillips realises that his whole career has been a team effort with his coaches, family and teammates all playing a part, and that’s why he made sure Bielsa was acknowledged after he earned his first cap.
This is a great gesture and one that is bound to make any Leeds United fan a bit emotional.
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