The Liverpool boss considers Nat Phillips among the players who have improved the most under his stewardship.
Nat Phillips broke into Liverpool’s senior squad last season amid an injury crisis in their backline. Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip were all out with long-term injuries as Liverpool struggled for defensive stability.
Jurgen Klopp quickly integrated Phillips into the Reds squad, starting him regularly in the second half of the season. Despite a few unbalanced performances, Phillips lived up to expectations and remained a key player throughout the season.
However, with the return of the regular starters, Phillips has struggled to get sufficient game time this season. The 24-year-old has featured in only three matches for Liverpool this season, none of them in the Premier League.
Phillips’ ‘insane’ developement!
Despite Phillips’ recent struggles, Klopp believes he has developed significantly in the past two seasons.
“People often ask me which player made the biggest improvements under my leadership, and I say Robert Lewandowski,” he said.
“That’s probably right, but not far off that is Nat Phillips, just in a completely different department.
“I remember when I saw Nat Phillips first. I spoke to him after the game and he’s one of the smartest players I ever worked with. I told him, ‘You know you are not the easiest on the eye, eh?’
“He improved in pretty much everything since, and he’s not playing. Life is sometimes not fair and I can’t blame him.”
With the arrival of Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig in the summer, the Liverpool backline is crowded once again.
Will Phillips move away this winter?
Asked about Phillips’ potential move away from Liverpool in January, Klopp responded:
“We cannot keep him forever, that’s clear,” Klopp added. “We needed him, just to be safe, for that half-year. We will see what happens in the window. He was fine doing it because he’s a great guy.
“His development is absolutely insane. You saw it last year, you would have said ‘Nat Phillips, oh my god, he plays in the last line?’
“People love him because of his heading but with his feet he is unbelievable. He’s a late starter, but his development is unbelievable. I would sign him for any club except Liverpool, because we have him.”
Several clubs are eyeing moves for Phillips in the upcoming transfer window, with Brighton and Westham being his main suitors.
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