According to The Athletic, Jurgen Klopp sees a lot of himself in Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips as he begins to make an impact at Anfield.
The report claims that Phillips was gutted when an October move to Swansea City fell through, as he was supposed to replace Joe Rodon following his move to Tottenham Hotspur.
However, he knuckled down and carried on working hard at Liverpool, and has now been rewarded having become a first-team regular since injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
Is Phillips flashy? No. Is he going to be a long-term answer at Anfield? Probably not. He is though committed, hard-working and pretty dominant in the air, meaning he can carve out a squad role.
The report also shares how Liverpool coaches admire Phillips for his bravery, and how the Reds were tipped off about Phillips when he was let go by Bolton Wanderers back in 2016.
Academy director Alex Inglethorpe was told by ex-Bolton coach Andy Hughes and current Liverpool scout Andy O’Brien about the potential of Phillips, who was let go for budget reasons rather than a lack of quality.
Liverpool boss Klopp allegedly saw shades of himself in Phillips in the way that he is so strong in the air, and subsequently supported a move.
That decision has certainly paid off this season, and having looked exit-bound just am atter of months ago, he is now proving his importance to the Reds.
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