Kalvin Phillips has been arguably Leeds United’s best player this season.
Noel Whelan has told West Yorkshire Sport Daily that he believes Kalvin Phillips will see his Leeds United form rewarded with an England cap soon.
The 23-year-old has arguably been Leeds’ best player this season, and he came to the rescue last week to head home a 101st-minute equaliser at Middlesbrough.
Phillips, who came through the Whites’ academy, dazzled again in midweek, helping Marcelo Bielsa’s side to a 2-1 win over Swansea City at Elland Road.
He has spent much of this season playing in an unfamiliar centre-back role, but maintains a sense of professionalism and class despite consistently being played out of position.
Such is his talent, it isn’t immediately obvious that he isn’t a natural central defender and former Leeds hitman Whelan concedes that he’s a massive fan of the young midfielder.
“Kalvin Phillips for me just keeps getting better and better and better,” he said on West Yorkshire Sport Daily. “I just love him.
“I said after the [Swansea] game that if he carried on like this he could play at international level and I believe if he keeps this progression going Gareth Southgate will come calling for him.
“What an amazing turnaround.”
It’s a big, big shout to predict that Phillips could win an England cap.
He could – of course he could – but Southgate has an abundance of very good midfielders at his disposal and although Phillips is shining in the Championship, doing it at Premier League level is another test altogether.
Lewis Cook, his fellow Thorp Arch academy graduate, has done it in the top flight with Bournemouth and earned an international cap, so maybe, just maybe, the Whites star can too.
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