Having struggled to play on loan at West Ham, where he was set to revive Kalvin Phillips' career after a disastrous 18 months at Man City, the midfielder is at risk of missing EURO 2024. Coach Gareth Southgate did not call up Phillips for the two recent friendly matches against Brazil and Belgium.
Phillips' decline stems from his departure from Leeds United to move to Man City in 2022. The 28-year-old was injured on his debut at the Etihad and has only started nine games for more than a year since then.
Phillips has tried to stay optimistic, having started just two Premier League games and played a total of 593 minutes in Man City's historic treble. The English midfielder rejected an offer to leave Man City last summer, instead choosing to stay and fight for a starting position.
The former Leeds midfielder has been practicing hard during the holiday to ensure his return to Man City in the best form he can, ready to impress Pep Guardiola.
Phillips has not started a single game in the first nine games of the season. Opportunities opened up when Rodri was suspended for the Carabao Cup against Newcastle in September, Phillips started alongside Rico Lewis and Mateo Kovacic in midfield.
Man City lost 0-1 and Rodri was absent for the next two Premier League games, Phillips was still left on the bench. When Rodri was suspended again for the away trip to Aston Villa in December, Phillips also did not play a single minute.
Phillips knows that joining Man City could take a long time to understand Pep Guardiola's demands. Jack Grealish moved from Aston Villa for £100 million in 2021, but it still took nearly a year to gain the trust of Pep Guardiola. However, under all circumstances, Phillips is still a redundant at the Etihad.
Phillips' future decision was partly affected by Southgate. The England captain wants the midfielder to stay in the Premier League instead of moving to a new environment.
In the end, West Ham head coach David Moyes decided to save Phillips. However, Phillips' confidence has been running low during his time at Man City, which has been difficult to recover.
Southgate was keen to include Phillips in the squad for Brazil and Belgium, but in the end, he decided not to defend his student. Phillips has gone through many terrible things in the past 2 years, including being scolded by Pep Guardiola for being overweight after the 2022 World Cup.
The biggest obstacle for Phillips to regain his form at Leeds was his confidence. However, he is still in Southgate's plans. The England coaching staff warned that if they decide to let Jude Bellingham take on the role of "number 10", not many players will be able to effectively pair up with Declan Rice. Phillips is also considered to have a positive influence on the team and a gentle personality. This is something Southgate highly appreciates at Phillips, especially when choosing a squad for a major tournament.
Man City affirmed that Phillips still has a future at the club. It is not ruled out that Rodri will return to Spain, but there are few people who believe that Phillips is a worthy replacement.
Phillips' first step is to regain form in the final months of the season and hopefully convince Southgate. After a period of endless decline, Phillips's future at club and national team is uncertain.
