England midfielder Kalvin Phillips returned from the World Cup overweight and not in the right condition to play, Manchester City coach said.
Kalvin Phillips : Overweight | what team does play for
Kalvin Mark Phillips is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kalvin Mark Phillips | ||
| Date of birth | 2 December 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
A Leeds United academy graduate, Phillips made his first-team debut in 2015. In the 2019–20 season, Phillips was a member of the Leeds team coached by Marcelo Bielsa that won the Championship.
Following this season, Phillips made his international debut for the England national team, and was part of the England team that finished runner-up at UEFA Euro 2020.
Kalvin Phillips Overweight
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says England midfielder Kalvin Phillips was “overweight” when he returned to training from the World Cup.
Boss Pep said: “He’s not injured. He arrived overweight. I don’t know why.
Pep Guardiola says England midfielder Kalvin Phillips was "overweight" when he returned to training from the World Cup.
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) December 24, 2022
On #BBCBreakfast we heard from the Manchester City managerhttps://t.co/GMFSNC0Wue pic.twitter.com/llKxqElIIQ
“He didn’t arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play. That’s why he cannot play. When he will be ready, he will play, because we need him, we need him a lot.”
Phillips was given ten days off after the Three Lions’ 2-1 quarter-finals loss to France.
But when he returned to the Etihad Campus on Wednesday he was not in the right shape.
He was left out of the squad for the Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool — even though his four England team-mates were all on the bench.
Guardiola did not blame the England camp for the condition of his player — which suggests the fault may lie with Phillips.
What team does play for
Phillips was eligible to play for his country of birth, England, as well as Jamaica and the Republic of Ireland through his heritage.
| Senior career* | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2022 | Leeds United | 214 | (13) |
| 2022– | Manchester City | 1 | (0) |
| International career* | |||
| 2020– | England | 25 | (0) |
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* Stats as of Writing
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He ultimately chose to represent England and was called by Gareth Southgate for the first time in August 2020, before receiving his first cap on 8 September versus Denmark in the UEFA Nations League.
He was only the third player in the 21st century to represent England prior to making an appearance in the top division of a country, after Jack Butland and Wilfried Zaha.
In an interview after being called up, Phillips spoke of his intention to give his first England shirt to Marcelo Bielsa after the Leeds United manager handed him a playing shirt from his old club Newell’s Old Boys, along with a message to him and his family to commemorate his first international call-up.
Phillips was chosen to represent England at UEFA Euro 2020, where he won praise from pundits, fans and the world’s press for his combative, dynamic displays.
He started every game that England played during the tournament all the way up to the final, where they were eventually beaten on penalties by tournament winners Italy.
Phillips was named England’s 2020–21 Men’s Player of the Year. He made two substitute appearances at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.