Kalvin Phillips makes Leeds United vs Chelsea admission amid Bielsa and Guardiola comparison

Manchester City’s England international Kalvin Phillips has spoken of the key similarities and differences between revered Leeds United icon Marcelo Bielsa and the enormously-successful Etihad boss Pep Guardiola. Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live, the 26-year-old World Cup hopeful recounted his early exchanges working under the Spaniard but was careful to avoid selecting a favourite coach.

"The similarities that they’ve got, they’re very, very demanding you know, Marcelo – everyone obviously knows he was a very demanding coach physically but also mentally as well with all the meetings we used to have. Pep doesn’t like to overload you with meetings as much but on the training pitch he’s very, very demanding,” Phillips said.

"The way that Pep plays is a lot different to the way that we played at Leeds, so I'd have to say all the tactics and stuff and the way that he sees the game is obviously very different to Bielsa.”

"On a defensive aspect, we don't play man-to-man, with Pep it’s very positional based. And I think just technically, as a player, I thought, when I came to City, I thought I was quite good technically. And then I walked into training and I was 1000 miles behind, every single player that was there.

"So, it was just me trying to learn the basics of what position to be in, how to take the ball onto my left foot when it's coming from a different side, how to control my right foot and how to manipulate the ball in different ways.

"I'd say my role in Pep’s team is obviously a lot different. Obviously I have the ball a lot more than what I would do if I was at Leeds, so it's very much on the ball but also, defensively I've got be switched on as well,” the England international said.

In addition to Phillips’ admission that he remains a ‘massive’ Leeds fan, the 26-year-old says he keeps a keen eye on United’s results, including one particular game at the beginning of this season.

"There's been times where – I think it was in Newcastle. We played Newcastle away [21 August] and obviously Leeds were playing before us and I was literally sat in the changing room until before we went out watching the Leeds game [3-0 vs Chelsea].”