Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips stole the show for England against Croatia on Sunday, and is now being hailed by Patrick Vieira.
The Whites ace enjoyed a superb Premier League campaign for Leeds, continuing to develop rapidly under the tutelage of Marcelo Bielsa.
There were still many England fans unconvinced by him though, and some weren’t happy when he was named in the starting XI to face Croatia.
Phillips proved his doubters wrong
Phillips was outstanding against Croatia, providing an all-action performance having been given more license to go forward and support the attack.
He did that to great effect, first having a great shot saved in the first half before providing the assist for Raheem Sterling’s winner after the break.
Phillips may now have done enough to keep his place in the side to face Scotland on Friday, with Gareth Southgate surely in no mood to drop him.
Vieira raves about Leeds star Phillips
Patrick Vieira knows a thing or two about midfield play, and he picked out Phillips for praise on ITV on Wednesday night (19:20).
The Arsenal legend suggested that Phillips was the pick of the bunch for England, even better than West Ham’s Declan Rice.
Vieira noted that Phillips is a ‘really strong character’, and admitted that he was ‘really surprised’ with just how good Phillips was against a quality Croatian midfield featuring Marcelo Brozovic, Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic.
“I was quite really impressed with the two holding midfielders, especially with Phillips,” said Vieira. “I think he’s a ball-winner, he’s a really strong character and, to be honest, he really surprised me with the quality of the game that he had against Croatia,” he added.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
