Kalvin Phillips grateful to Leeds United as midfielder heads for the Premier League with Whites

Leeds United have known it for ages.

Last summer, Aston Villa boss Dean Smith knew it too.

Two months after the heartache of defeat in the play-offs semi-finals, Phillips could have jumped straight into the country’s top flight in any case with a transfer to Villa Park.

The predicament facing United’s Yorkshire Pirlo was obvious given his boyhood dream of taking his hometown club to the Premier League.

With Leeds facing up to yet another season in the Championship, Villa were offering Phillips a route straight in.

Yet Phillips declined and this, says the midfielder, was why with the Yorkshireman unable to comprehend being anywhere else as United finally await top-flight football for the first time in 16 years.

Had he so desired, Phillips could already have had one season of Premier League football under his belt by now.

After a superb 2018-19 Championship campaign in Marcelo Bielsa’s first season in charge, Phillips was a man in demand with newly-promoted Villa leading the chase for his services.

Several bids were knocked back including one in excess of £25m with Leeds somewhat leaving the ball in the midfielder’s court.

The temptations of the bright lights of the Premier League were obvious yet Phillips always wanted to savour those bright lights with Leeds.

And one year on, he finally can with the 24-year-old now thrilled that he stayed and thanking chairman Andrea Radrizzani, director of football Victor Orta, managing director Angus Kinnear and of course head coach Bielsa for their roles in keeping him at Elland Road.

Speaking to United’s official website and asked if he felt that his decision to stay last summer had now been vindicated by United’s promotion one year on, Phillips admitted: “Definitely.

“It was a tough decision for me and my family, but I can’t say I ever wanted to leave the club.

“A lot of people are thanking me, but I think Victor, Angus, Andrea and Marcelo played a massive part in my reasons for staying here, they said if I didn’t want to leave, they weren’t going to sell me.

“I’m just thankful that it worked out the way it did, as I couldn’t imagine being at another club, looking over my shoulder and not being part of this Leeds United side getting promoted.”

After their midfield maestro became injured, Leeds ultimately had to seal promotion without Phillips who was forced to miss United’s final three games after damaging his left knee in the 1-0 win over Swansea City.

The midfielder admitted he was then destined to be a “nervous wreck” watching on as a fan from the sidelines for United’s final three games.

But Leeds ultimately needed just one more match to seal promotion as champions with the nervy 1-0 win at home to Barnsley enough to seal first promotion and then the Championship title.

Phillips was then able to look on in a rather more relaxed mood for the 3-1 victory at Derby County complete with Rams guard of honour before the season finale at home to Charlton Athletic who were battered 4-0 on the night United received the Championship trophy.

Phillips celebrated in style before jetting off on holiday with team mates Ben White and Tyler Roberts and now, in just two days’ time, United will be back to training ahead of the 2020-21 Premier League season which will begin over the weekend of September 12.

Yet Phillips has already been working on his knee and gave a positive update as to his condition.

“I’ve been away with Tyler, Ben and some of the lads for a few days, then as soon as I came back, I’ve started working on the physio for my knee,” he said.

“It’s all looking good, I’m just happy that I’m looking after myself and I’m probably a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.”

Sizing up what he was most looking forward to about the Premier League, Phillips said simply: “Just playing football.

“Obviously I’ve not played in the competition, but we’ve faced Premier League sides, so I’m looking forward to all the big games like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs.

“Every game is going to be massive with it being our first season in 16 years, but we’ll take each one as it comes like we did last year, and hopefully we’ll have a very good campaign.”

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Thank you Laura Collins