Kalvin Phillips: Leeds United midfielder set to make England debut vs Denmark
Written by News on 08/09/2020
Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips is set to make his England debut on Tuesday in the Nations League match against Denmark.
The 24-year-old is expected to play in a midfield anchor role alongside Declan Rice.
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Gareth Southgate is considering a shift to a formation which deploys three centre-backs, a system which took the Three Lions to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup.
Wolves captain Conor Coady is also increasingly likely to make his debut as one of Southgate’s three central defenders.
Coady and Phillips were two of four uncapped players to be included in Southgate’s squad for the Nations League double header.
Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood both made their debuts in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Iceland, but were then sent home for breaching UEFA’s coronavirus protocols the following night.
Both have since apologised and the FA has launched a “full investigation” into an incident which saw them break quarantine rules at their team hotel.
Phillips: Leeds academy prospect to unexpected England call-up within five years
Analysis by Sky Sports’ Joe Tanner:
Nicknamed the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ by Leeds supporters for his passing range and creativity, Phillips was instrumental in Marcelo Bielsa’s charge towards the Championship title last season, helping end their 16 years away from the Premier League.
From scoring in the 100th anniversary week of Leeds United in a key 1-0 home victory over Birmingham, to ranking second for Championship midfielders in successful long balls (163) and accumulating an overall pass completion rate of 82 per cent, Phillips excelled during 2019/20.
Halfway through last season, Phillips had made more tackles than any other second-tier player, and his tenacious ball-winning displays and overall performances reportedly made him a target for several clubs in the Premier League.
Phillips told Sky Sports last year Bielsa had transformed his midfield role into a deeper-lying one, and he bases his game on the combative Leeds legend Billy Bremner.
But the evolution from an energetic box-to-box central midfielder prior to Bielsa’s arrival at Elland Road, to a holding position that has seen him become a lynchpin in this Leeds side, has not happened overnight.
His technical ability was evident from an early age even prior to his debut under previous boss Neil Redfearn in 2015, according to his former academy coach Jason Blunt.
Phillips was scouted while playing for local side Wortley Juniors aged 14, and joined Leeds’ youth ranks in 2010.
Blunt worked closely with Phillips on his development as a local prospect progressing through the academy at Thorp Arch, before he made his first-team debut against Wolves in April 2015.
Blunt is convinced Phillips’ physical and athletic development under Bielsa has helped him earn an England call-up.
He recalled: “I remember first seeing him when I joined the academy and Kalvin was about 14 years old at the time, his demeanour, he was physically strong what stood out most was his range of passing and how technically good he was.
“Everybody expected big things from him. His attitude was good, he had an arrogance about him and there was always something special about him which made him stand out from the rest.
“I think what I have noticed and probably what other people watching Leeds have noticed is that physically and athletically he has turned into a different machine.
“He was given his debut under Neil Redfearn in 2015, credit to people like him and Richard Naylor for giving him those initial opportunities at Leeds. He could play, technically he was good, but his aerobic capacity now and the sprint distances they expect under Bielsa, that’s what has made his performances so much better and consistent.”
Who will step in for England against Denmark?
England continue their Nations League campaign against Denmark on Tuesday evening, with Southgate expected to make changes to his side following Saturday’s narrow win over Iceland.
Southgate admitted England’s laboured victory over Iceland left him and his players feeling “a bit flat” in his interview with Sky Sports afterwards, adding that he would need to “assess the freshness of everybody” ahead of Tuesday’s game and hinting at possible line-up changes.
One of those changes could see Harry Kane drop out…
Read the full Denmark vs England match preview here
How to watch Nations League on Sky Sports
You will be able to watch all 162 Nations League matches live on Sky Sports – plus the semi-finals, third-place play-off and final. Games will be shown across our main channels and via the red button.
If you’re out and about, you can follow all of those Home Nations games on the Sky Sports website and app, where we’ll have minute-by-minute updates and show you the goals as they go in.
We’ll also have highlights of every game involving the Home Nations and the best of the other Nations League fixtures available too.
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Kalvin Phillips: Leeds United midfielder set to make England debut vs Denmark
