Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips setting sights high for club and country

Phillips has made rapid progress at his hometown club who rebuffed multiple offers in excess of £20m for the midfielder’s services in the summer amidst high-profile interest from a number of Premier League sides.

Phillips, though, always declared his desire to stay and signed a new five-year deal in September running to the summer of 2024.

The 24-year-old was then thought to be heading for his first England call-up for the March friendlies against Denmark and Italy only for the games to be cancelled in the country’s ongoing battle against coronavirus which still has United’s Championship promotion push on hold.

Phillips, though, says his own personal ambitions are clear with the midfielder naturally hoping to make his Three Lions debut but also help Leeds not just to promotion but developing into a Premier League force.

Speaking to Forza Football Academy on Instagram as part of their Instagram Live Series hosted by Andy Welsh, Phillips was asked about his personal ambitions and said: “Get Leeds promoted, obviously hopefully this season.

“Get Leeds back to being a big club in the Premier League and hopefully make an England appearance.”

Asked if he could win any cup in the world, the midfielder smiled: “I think it’s got to be either Premier League or Champions League.

“Obviously with Leeds United I would love to win the Premier League with Leeds United if we ever got the chance.

“And obviously if we were doing well with Leeds United and got into the Champions League, I can remember the days years ago when Leeds were flying high and doing well.

“It would be massive for me as a person and this city because I think this city needs it.”

Leeds-born Phillips joined the Whites Academy as a 14-year-old having excelled with Wortley Juniors and the midfielder worked his way through the United ranks before making his first-team debut in April 2015.

Five years later, Phillips is widely regarded as one of the best players in English football’s second tier and the midfielder admits it would be hard to describe the feeling of taking Leeds up.

“It would be unbelievable,” said Phillips, asked what it would mean to take the club back to the Premier League.

“I’ve had so many people ask me this question and you can’t really put it down to one thing.

“You can’t really say one thing.

“My family are invested in the city of Leeds and the club and me, as a person, I am invested in it, I love the club and to take them back to the Premier League would just be massive for me.”

*Forza Football Academy has delivered 25 free sessions on Facebook for children during lockdown.

Forza Football Academy's You Tube channel can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/c/ForzaFootballAcademy and their Instagram page at forza_footballacademy

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