Kalvin Phillips reflects on weight demands and surprise request as Marcelo Bielsa became Leeds United head coach

Phillips netted seven times during the 2017-18 campaign under Thomas Christiansen and Paul Heckingbottom with the Leeds United midfielder often taking up advanced positions and even used as a no 10.

But Phillips has recalled how Bielsa quickly looked to change his role upon the Argentinian's appointment in July 2018 with the new head coach even wanting Phillips to train as a centre-back.

Nearly two years later, Phillips has made the deep lying midfielder role his own with the 24-year-old widely regarded as one of the best players in the division and thought to be on the cusp of getting his first England call.

Speaking to Forza Football Academy on Instagram as part of their Instagram Live Series hosted by Andy Welsh, Phillips was asked about how Bielsa had changed his game and said: "I think the season before I had scored seven goals and got three or four assists and I think I did reasonably well for a midfielder.

"When he came in, he said he was going to play me as a centre defensive mid, and I was like 'hang on a minute, I've scored one of the most goals in the team, I'm the midfielder with the most goals.'

"But obviously I was never going to say no. He looks like a manager you don't really want to upset and I just went with it.

"He was telling me how he wanted me to play and what he wanted me to do, first of all he wanted me to lose weight, he wanted me to learn how to play centre-back as well as playing centre defensive mid."

Asked if he has always been a midfielder, Phillips reasoned: "I was more of an attacking midfielder.

"I could play striker or I could play attacking midfielder - when I was young - Sunday league.

"Then when I got into the Academy I changed to like a box to box midfielder and then I remember one season with Paul Heckingbottom I kind of played everywhere.

"I played four, eight and then I played ten so I knew if I got the right coaching and I put in the right work that I could probably play anywhere in midfield.

"But I think with the manager coming in and telling me that he thinks I am going to be a good player in that position then I was never going to say no.

"It's me just believing in him knowing that he's coached such big players and been in charge of such big teams that have done so well.

"I just agreed to it and obviously it has worked out better for me."

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