What Aston Villa boss Dean Smith said about Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips in April

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Aston Villa boss Dean Smith is now said to be trying to buy Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith’s comments about Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips from earlier this season now look very interesting.

Villa are said to be trying to buy Phillips from Leeds following their promotion to the Premier League by the Daily Mail.

However, Smith has not always been complimentary of the Leeds man.

Villa and Leeds met in April in what was a tempestuous affair at Elland Road, with the controversy living long in the memory.

Leeds and Villa drew 1-1 in the contest, but the hot tempered clash will almost certainly never be forgotten by those in attendance at Elland Road.

Leeds scored a goal through Mateusz Klich when Jonathan Kodjia was down injured, and Marcelo Bielsa’s side then allowed Villa to walk the ball into an empty net in a great show of sportsmanship.

The damage had already been done by then though, in what was a hugely ill-tempered affair.

And Smith’s comments to the Yorkshire Evening Post after the game suggest that Phillips’ aggressive display had frustrated him.

“I think had a little bit of target practice on him [Jack Grealish] today. He’s got a few bumps and lumps on his shins,” Smith raged.

“Kalvin Phillips was stuck to Jack Grealish for most of the game, fouled him a few times and never got a caution for it.

“We feel a little bit aggrieved.”

Now Smith has had time to reflect, it seems that the Villa boss was actually impressed by Phillips’s whole-hearted performance for Leeds on that occasion.

And it now remains to be seen whether Villa will be able to persuade Leeds to part company with one of their key players this summer.