talkSPORT host Adrian Durham has said that England would be better with Kalvin Phillips in the squad.
He was responding to a Leeds fan who said that Phillips and Declan Rice should be England’s holding midfielders.
On an England segment on Drive (talkSPORT, Wednesday, 5.30pm), the fan phoned in to say, “If Phillips and Declan Rice were our holding midfielders we’d be a much better side. Phillips won’t get a sniff while he’s playing in the Championship, though.”
Durham replied saying, “I can’t say I disagree with him.”
Terrace talk
There are plenty of fans who feel the same way as Durham.
Hello both. I heard you mention the defensive midfielders re Rice, Henderson, Winks…. we have a player at Leeds in Kalvin Phillips who is level par with Rice & Winks, the Yorkshire Pirlo will be an England regular as soon as we get out the bloody Championship!!
— RetroLUFC (@RetroLUFC) September 11, 2019
One Leeds fan said that Phillips is “level par with Rice & Winks” and name-checked him as the Yorkshire Pirlo. He said Phillips will be an England regular as “soon as we get out the bloody Championship”.
Gareth Southgate obviously prefers players from the Premier League, waiting until the last two qualifiers to give Mason Mount his debut, despite a stunning season in the Championship with Derby.
An Arsenal fan agreed, too, saying that he thought Phillips was “miles better” than Rice who he said is “not ready for England’s first team. Kalvin Phillips is miles better than him”.
@talkSPORTDrive I'm not having a go at Declan because I think he's a talent but if you watch him playing against the best teams in the primier league he gets over run all the time, he's not ready for England's first team. Kalvin Phillips is miles better than him. #Shocking
— NYC Gooner (@jamguynash) September 11, 2019
Another Leeds fan said that if you didn’t think Phillips deserved a call-up for England, you were “deluded”.
Don’t be surprised to see Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips get an England call up in the future, who ever doesn’t think he deserves one you are deluded #lufc #mot
— Connor Mahoney!! BielsaBall and Beer ???????? (@ConnorMOT92) September 11, 2019