Leeds and West Brom are in the thick of the promotion chase.
Noel Whelan has told Sporting Life’s podcast that Leeds United midfielder and West Bromwich Albion attacker Harvey Barnes are his two Championship players of the season.
Phillips, 23, has been in superb form for Leeds this season, after being converted into a holding midfielder by new manager Marcelo Bielsa. He has played as the anchor in Bielsa’s 4-1-4-1 system.
The midfielder has even been linked elsewhere, with The Sun claiming that Barnes’ West Brom want to sign Phillips in the January transfer window. Phillips has a contract at Leeds until the summer of 2021.
Whelan believes Phillips is crucial to Leeds and he picked the Thorp Arch academy product as one of his two Championship players of the season, as well as attacker Barnes.
“Away from Leeds, I think Harvey Barnes has been excellent at West Brom,” Whelan said. “What a talent he is. Not just for goals, but his creativity. He’s got everything, pace, power, everything you’d expect from a wide player.
“With Leeds, the main one for me, without his goals, is Kalvin Phillips. The way Leeds United are playing, he is so important. He’s pivotal in how he drops between the two centre-halves. Allows the wing-backs to get up nice and high and join the attack.
“Without him doing that, that’s probably why we’ve not conceded too many goals because of how he has been playing. So far, Kalvin Phillips and Harvey Barnes.”
Indeed, Phillips has started every single Championship outing of the season, as well as Leeds’ two Carabao Cup fixtures. Meanwhile, Barnes has been excellent on loan at West Brom – scoring eight goals and adding four assists in the league.
Barnes, 21, reportedly came within inches of joining Leeds, with the Express & Star claiming that the Leicester City loanee had picked a shirt number at Elland Road before opting to join West Brom.
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