The Whites midfielder got his first 90 minutes of the post-season Nations League fixtures having overcome a severe dead leg to feature as a substitute against Italy at the weekend.
But Phillips looked a pale imitation of himself in a struggling England side and played a part in both of Hungary's first two goals. The Three Lions went on to lose 4-0 at Molineux as fans expressed their frustrations at boss Gareth Southgate.
One poor performance, at the end of a difficult, injury-ravaged relegation battle of a season won't harm Phillips' international prospects or his chances of making a huge move this summer. He was England's Player of the Year for 2021, playing all but 25 minutes of their run to the Euro 2020 final, and has proven himself to have top Premier League quality since helping Leeds earn promotion from the Championship.
Manchester City are reportedly preparing to make Leeds an offer for their academy product and see him as an ideal man to strengthen their defensive midfield options following the departure of Fernandinho.
Here's how the nation's media rated Phillips against Hungary.
1. Daily Mail - 6
Adrian Kajumba felt Phillips' performance up to the second Hungary goal was fine, but said the Leeds man was poor in the moments that lead to the 2-0 scoreline. He rated John Stones and Kyle Walker as far worse than Phillips.
2. Sky Sports - 4
Nick Wright of Sky called it an 'evening to forget' for the Leeds man, holding him responsible for giving Roland Sallai too much space for the opener and for giving the ball away for the second.
3. Daily Telegraph - 4
Matt Law said Phillips was 'not himself' and pointed out that the midfielder's needless concession of a free-kick led to the opener for Hungary, as well as highlighting the mistake for the second.
4. Football 365 - NA
Football365 don't give numerical ratings but felt Phillips getting blame for the first goal was 'a tiny bit harsh.' Ian King did, however, point out that Phillips is far better than he showed on the night
5. The Express - 6
Matthew Dunn rated four England players worse than Phillips on the night, crediting some 'uncompromising tackles' from the Leeds man but highlighting his error for the second goal.
6. Evening Standard - 4
Simon Collings felt Phillips endured a 'really difficult night' and felt he was 'partly' to blame for both of the first two visiting goals.