England star Kalvin Phillips has paid a touching tribute to his Granny Val revealing she died of Covid-19 in February.
The 25-year-old starred as man-of-the-match in England’s Euro 2020 opener against Croatia last Sunday, setting up Raheem Sterling’s winner.
In a film about his rise to stardom aired on ITV last night, Phillips spoke about the death of Val, 82, revealing for the first time that she was one of the UK’s 128,000 coronavirus victims.
Speaking ahead of the Three Lions’ crunch match against Scotland on Friday, Phillips says: “It was I think four or five months ago due to Covid. She was very caring, she’s very nosey, but she was a lovely, lovely woman. She’d be saying ‘don’t let it get to your head and make sure you do just as well in the next game’.”
Thank you @itvfootball
— Kalvin Phillips (@Kalvinphillips) June 17, 2021https://t.co/ahyZc5pkMl
Granny Val, full name Valerie Crosby, became a star in her own right in the Amazon documentary series Take Us Home about Phillips’ club Leeds United. She was one of the first people he phoned to tell the news he had got his first England call up in August 2020.
In the film the footballer, known as the “Yorkshire Pirlo” by fans, is shown a clip of his grandmother from the Amazon series that made Val a star in her own right last year.
In it Granny Val describes the moment her grandson told her he’d got the call from England manager Gareth Southgate and she says: “He said Gareth Southgate, I said ‘oh my God’, I couldn’t believe it, so proud of him”.
Smiling while he watches it, Phillips says: “Obviously it’s a nice moment, you know it’s an interview I always look back on.”
He also told how his grandmother would listen to all his matches and ring him every day to check in on him: “She always listened to it on the radio and then would ring me five or six times after the game, ask if I’m alright, ask how I played, if I did something wrong.”
A month after her death, Phillips posted a photo and tribute on Instagram, writing: “Yesterday I said my goodbyes to my beautiful grandmother! Thanks to everyone for the kind messages and gifts and also to the people who have helped me and my family In such a difficult period.
“Without you guys, family and football it would have been even harder than what it has been. Rest in Peace Love you always Granny Val!”
In the ITV film, the Leeds-born player also pays tribute to his mum Lindsey who raised him and his two siblings almost single-handedly while working two jobs. Asked how important she’s been to his success, he says: “I don’t even know if there’s a proper word, astronomical is that?”
He added: “She’s been a single parent, she’s just made me proud.”
After the Croatia game, Phillips pal former England striker Ian Wright, who visited the player for an interview in Armley, Leeds where he grew up earlier this year, tweeted: “Granny Val watching down with the biggest smile. Phenomenal performance.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3xwFdsc
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