'Human being' - West Ham boss sends message to Kalvin Phillips amid ex-Leeds United star's continued struggles

David Moyes insists West Ham United will continue to 'support' Kalvin Phillips during what has been a dismal period for the former Leeds United man.

Phillips angered West Ham fans on Saturday when a video emerged of him appearing to give the middle finger to one supporter, following the Hammers' 4-3 defeat at Newcastle United. The midfielder was on his way to the team bus and received abuse, with one individual labelling him 'useless'.

Phillips came off the bench with his side 3-1 up but almost instantly gave away a penalty, albeit via a controversial decision, before allowing Harvey Barnes to go past him and score the winning goal. The terrible cameo typified what has been a disappointing loan spell at the London Stadium but Moyes believes good can still come of the move.

"Kalvin’s a human being and what he needs is support and people to help him, which is what we’ll do," Moyes said in reaction to the swearing incident. "We need our fans to give all our players the support they require. Kalvin’s a really good player and I do believe we can still make something out of the time we’ve got with him here."

This summer will mark two years since Phillips decided to leave Leeds, eventually joining Manchester City in a £42million deal. The midfielder went to the Etihad as England's Player of the Year and a fan-favourite among Whites supporters but things have not gone to plan since.

Fitness issues and the consistency of first-choice midfielder Rodri saw minutes limited for Phillips, with the 28-year-old deciding to try and find more regular football elsewhere in January amid the risk of him missing out on the England squad for this summer's European Championships. But a slow start to life at West Ham saw him dropped for the March international break and a seat on the plane to Germany looks unlikely.

Leeds have recently been linked with a sensational return for Phillips, who is expected to leave City permanently in the summer. The Whites are thought to be eyeing a potential £30m move for their former star but can only afford such a deal if they return to the Premier League.