BBC pundit Noel Whelan has said he was surprised that Marcelo Bielsa dropped Kalvin Phillips for the crunch Championship game against Norwich, saying Leeds “need Phillips”.
He also said that the midfielder was playing so well he would be on Gareth Southgate’s radar for the senior England squad if he carried on progressing.
Whelan was talking on BBC Radio Leeds (Friday, 6pm) and heaped praise on the 23-year-old who has also been played out of position a lot this season, in central defence.
“Kalvin Phillips for me just keeps getting better and better and better,” Whelan said.
“I said after the [Swansea] game that if he carried on like this he could play at international level and I believe if he keeps his progression going that Gareth Southgate will come calling for him. What an amazing turnaround.
“The potential was there. I could see it last season, he’s got that controlled aggression. He’s picking his passes better, he’s mature in the way he plays. I just love him. I was surprised he was left out against Norwich. He ticks more boxes for me than [Adam] Forshaw. You could play the two of them, with Forshaw more further forward, but you need Phillips.”
OPINION
Phillips is surely a shoe-in for player of the season for Leeds. He’s been the lynchpin of the side in his favoured central midfield position, but he hasn’t always been deployed there. Instead he’s been moved back to central defence when injuries have dictated. That’s allowed Adam Forshaw to impress Bielsa and that led to Phillips being dropped for the first time this season for the game against Norwich. Leeds lost that fairly comprehensively. It shows how much Bielsa thinks of him that he would prefer to play Phillips in the heart of defence rather than the towering youngster Aapol Halme, but we think Leeds need him in his best position. When he plays in midfield Leeds have a much better feel about them, and Phillips adds something to the set-up that Forshaw, as impressive as he’s been, doesn’t bring to the table. We can’t wait to see Phillips in the Premier League if, as expected, Leeds get promoted this season. If he impresses as much there then Whelan could be right and an England call-up could be just round the corner.