Leeds United ace Kalvin Phillips comments on Marcelo Bielsa masterstroke

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The Leeds United ace initially played in central midfield for the Whites but Bielsa’s Elland Road arrival saw him become a defensive midfielder.

Leeds United ace Kalvin Phillips has praised Elland Road boss Marcelo Bielsa following his decision to switch the Whites academy graduate to defensive midfield, which has proven a masterstroke (Sky Sports News).

The 23-year-old was given his debut at Leeds by Neil Redfearn in 2014 and spent his formative years in the first team as a central midfielder, but Bielsa’s arrival at Elland Road in the summer of 2018 saw him pushed further back.

Phillips has prospered as a defensive midfielder to the extent that the Leeds faithful have nicknamed him the “Yorkshire Pirlo” and there have even been calls for England manager Gareth Southgate to consider giving him a call-up.

The Leeds born-and-bred ace said he “wasn’t the best player” ahead of Bielsa’s arrival at Elland Road but reflected on how much of a “massive help” the Argentine has been, before discussing – and hailing – his managerial methods.

“I wasn’t the best player,” he joked, in conversation with the Sky Sports EFL Podcast. “The manager has come in and chosen the players that he wanted and obviously he’s done very well with me. I felt like I could have played anywhere in midfield, but he knew what position was best for me and he knew where he wanted me to play. I think, with his style and the way that he’s nurtured me into playing in that position, I think it’s been a massive help to me.

“He makes us train 100 per cent every day. He makes us watch videos on games, goes back and tells us what we’ve done wrong, what we’ve done right, mostly focusing on the stuff we’ve done wrong! But when you do something right, you know you’ve done well. He’s an honest guy and tells you how it is and what you need to do better. He won’t take anything less than 100 per cent and if you are doing that then you’ll be punished for it and if you are doing well, then the results will come.”

Phillips has started in all 17 of Leeds’ Championship fixtures so far, playing the full 90 minutes in all but one, as well as featuring in both the Whites’ League Cup games this term (Transfermarkt).