Ex-Leeds United hero tests former Whites teammate on special Marcelo Bielsa memory

It was touch-and-go for a long time to see if Leeds native and former Elland Road hero Kalvin Phillips would be included in England’s final squad to take part at the World Cup finals.

The 26-year old, who made a high profile move from the Yorkshire Club to Premier League champions Manchester City in the summer, has missed almost the entirety of the season so far through injury. However, he timed his comeback to perfection and was able to regain fitness just in time for Gareth Southgate to confirm he would be heading to Qatar with the Three Lions. It means he will once again be able to team up with friend and fellow former United star Ben White, who he became close with during their short spell together at Elland Road.

The duo were teammates during the Championship winning 2019/20 season while the defender was on loan from parent club Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. That season was one of particular significance for Phillips as head coach Marcelo Bielsa developed his skills as a deeper-lying midfielder which helped him earn his first call up to the senior England squad. Phillips credits Bielsa with playing a key part in his personal development and helping him become an established England international and, as has been previously reported, gifted the Argentine the shirt from his debut match against Denmark in September 2020 in a touching moment.

That topic came up when White and Phillips sat down together as part of the England team’s ‘diary room’ social media feature during the FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar. The pair put their friendship to the test with a series of questions and Phillips asked the Arsenal star what he did with the shirt, to which White was able to answer quickly and correctly that he had given it to Bielsa. Other questions on the light-hearted feature included White’s full name and what tattoos he has as well as who Phillips dressed up as for Halloween this year.

Leeds did attempt to make White’s loan move a permanent one but Brighton were holding out for a more significant sum, which eventually came when Arsenal bought him for £50 million in 2021. Phillips has also, of course, since made a big money move to Manchester City but injury problems have derailed the early stages of his time with the Premier League champions.