Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips wants Germany repeat as Gareth Southgate hints at England changes

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips hopes for a return to the England starting XI in Germany tonight, as Gareth Southgate hints at changes.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The Three Lions were beaten 1-0 in Hungary on Saturday in what was their first defeat in regulation time since a Nations League defeat by Belgium in November 2020.

They return to action tonight at the Allianz Arena in Munich and Phillips admits it was difficult to miss out on international football when he was working his way back from hamstring surgery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Leeds man missed almost four months of the Premier League season, along with England's March friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast.

When the Nations League rolled around again at the weekend, Phillips was named among the substitutes and had to settle for the final 11 minutes of the game as England chased an equaliser that wouldn't come.

"Obviously it's tough being injured, sat there watching the team," said Phillips of this season's experience that he won't want to repeat.

"The lads coming here as well and missing out on that, so it's very tough. But I just kept my head down and hoped to take my chance when I got it. I've been called back into the squad again and I just want to perform well and do as well as I possibly can for the team."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Southgate is expected to make changes to the side that lost in Hungary as he continues to try and strike a balance between selections that can get wins and experiments that let him explore the full options available to him.

ENGLAND RETURN? Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips is hoping to return to the England starting XI for a repeat performance against Germany in Munich tonight. Pic: GettyENGLAND RETURN? Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips is hoping to return to the England starting XI for a repeat performance against Germany in Munich tonight. Pic: Getty
ENGLAND RETURN? Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips is hoping to return to the England starting XI for a repeat performance against Germany in Munich tonight. Pic: Getty

"The first thing is you're always trying to win, so whenever you pick a team and field a team, you believe it's a strong enough team to win a game of football," he said.

"What we have got to do is find out about certain players, we've got to manage players at the stage of the season where some are coming back from having had injuries, some haven't played a lot of football in that last period of the season. So to have played Saturday, Tuesday would be very challenging as well. But wherever we play, you're always trying to learn things.

"So whichever team you pick for a game like [Germany], there's performance, there's the result, we go there to win. And you're looking for what the learnings are from that experience after it and that's how you continue the process of coaching and growing as a team."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Phillips played 90 minutes and took huge plaudits the last time England faced Germany, in a 2-0 Euro 2020 finals victory last summer. The Leeds man hopes to not only get the nod again in tonight's Nations League fixture but to help England put together a repeat performance.