Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that he did not want Nathaniel Phillips to leave for Bournemouth, as quoted in The Daily Echo.
Klopp has praised the Liverpool-owned defender for his attitude at the AXA Training Centre before he left for Bournemouth.
The 24-year-old English centre-back joined Championship club Bournemouth on loan from Premier League outfit Liverpool on the final day of the January transfer window.
Phillips is scheduled to stay at the Cherries until the end of the season.
The Daily Echo quotes Klopp as saying: “It was really good for Neco and Nat especially.
“Nat deserved it so much. We would have loved to have kept him here, to be honest, with all the things that happened in the last few years here in the centre-half positions.
“Nat was incredibly reliable and a great figure here at the training ground. But it’s really well deserved and I’m really happy for both of them.”
Nathaniel Phillips was right to leave Liverpool on loan
In our view, Phillips was right to leave Liverpool on loan for Bournemouth in the January transfer window.
There was no point whatsoever in the English centre-back wasting time at Liverpool because he was not getting playing time.
We saw last season how good Phillips can be when given an extended run in the team.
Phillips did not play even once in the Premier League for Liverpool this season before his loan move to Bournemouth.
The centre-back made 15 starts and two substitute appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool last season.
Bournemouth are aiming to finish in the top two of the Championship table this season and win automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
