West Ham teammate gives verdict on Kalvin Phillips after nightmare debut for ex-Leeds United man

James Ward-Prowse believes the 'really special' Kalvin Phillips can retain his place in the England squad for this summer's European Championships with regular football at West Ham.

Phillips joined the Hammers on loan for the season after finding minutes hard to come by at Manchester City. The former Leeds United midfielder struggled with fitness issues and was rarely used by manager Pep Guardiola, who publicly apologised for his tough stance in December.

Phillips was handed his first Premier League start of the season against Bournemouth on Wednesday but had a nightmare debut, seeing his attempted pass fall straight to Dominic Solanke to score the opener after a loose ball from Kurt Zouma. But the 28-year-old composed himself to get 67 minutes under his belt, and Ward-Prowse believes consistent football will only benefit his new teammate.

"[He's] really special,” Ward-Prowse told The Mirror of Phillips. "He's got a lot of experience in big matches. He's been at a big club in City for a number of years and I'm sure he's got a point to prove. It's great to have him in the squad and hopefully, he can have a real benefit for us moving forward.

"Everyone is playing for a place at the Euros, it's in the back of their minds. Kalvin will feel he has got a point to prove and equally, so do I. 

“The England manager [Gareth Southgate] has got his players and the way he likes to play and that's his decision. I can only talk about my experience playing with Kalvin and you can see his quality on the ball and the way he can move it well. He's also got great character."

Phillips has managed to keep his place in the England squad despite featuring so rarely at club level. The midfielder has actually started as many times for the Three Lions as he had for City this season, having made the squad for international breaks in September, October and November.

But manager Gareth Southgate will begin to taper his squad ahead of this summer's Euro 2024 in Germany and regular game-time ahead of the tournament was a major factor in Phillips' decision to leave City.