Leeds United star endures torrid night on the international stage as mistakes are ruthlessly punished

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips endured a torrid night as England fell to a hugely disappointing 4-0 Nations League defeat to Hungary.
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The Whites man had a hand in two of Hungary's goals and struggled to impose himself on the game, which brought his first 90 minutes for his country since September.

Phillips, who limped out of the game against Germany a week ago with a dead leg, started in a midfield three, flanked by Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Borussia Dortmund teenager Jude Bellingham and was the only one of the trio to complete the fixture.

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England began brightly enough and came close on five minutes when Reece James got in on the left and hung up a cross that Jarrod Bowen met at the back post but failed to head goalwards.

The visitors took the lead after a quarter of an hour with their first attack, England's failure to defend a free-kick conceded by Phillips allowing Freiburg's Roland Sallai to take a touch and slam the ball beyond Aaron Ramsdale. Phillips was the closest man to the Hungary goalscorer but couldn't get there in time to block the shot, after John Stones had lost the first header and Harry Kane had missed a chance to clear.

Gareth Southgate's men were sluggish and timid in their build up from the back, centre-halves eschewing forward passes and often ignoring Phillips as he asked for the ball in tight areas.

The Leeds man came close to finding his own net as he attempted to get his head on another dangerous Hungary free-kick, Reece James having to head off the line to keep the score 1-0.

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Hungary were indebted to keeper Dénes Dibusz for preventing an own goal at the other end when Willi Orbán's diving header looked set to level the game.

TOUGH NIGHT - Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips played all 90 minutes as England lost 4-0 to Hungary. Pic: GettyTOUGH NIGHT - Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips played all 90 minutes as England lost 4-0 to Hungary. Pic: Getty
TOUGH NIGHT - Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips played all 90 minutes as England lost 4-0 to Hungary. Pic: Getty

England's frustration continued after the break, conjuring little more than half chances or fruitless possession against a well-organised Hungary.

For Phillips on an individual level it was equally disappointing, with a number of errors and uncharacteristically poor bits of play. It was his loose touch and failed tackle that presented Hungary with the ball deep in England territory and Sallai poked the ball through Ramsdale after being played in by Adam Lang.

Harry Kane hit the crossbar with a header with 13 minutes remaining but things got worse for the Three Lions when Ádám Nagy drilled in from distance after a breakaway. John Stones' red card, for an undeserved second yellow, compounded Southgate's misery.

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The England boss brought Harry Maguire on, for Saka, to move to a back four for the final minutes and heard shouts of 'you don't know what you're doing' from the Molineux crowd.

Hungary put the exclamation mark on a famous victory when substitute Dániel Gazdag ran through to dink the ball over Ramsdale for the fourth.

This post-season block of Nations League fixtures has yielded just two points for England, with Southgate repeatedly stressing the importance of rotating players and exploring his options in a World Cup year. England sit bottom of their group, five points behind leaders Hungary and four behind second-placed Germany.

Phillips can now, finally, put his feet up and recover after a difficult, injury-ravaged season, although will likely still be in the headlines with his club future a continued source of speculation. Manchester City are keen on the 26-year-old, although Leeds are yet to receive any official bids for any of their players this summer.