When news of Kalvin Phillips’s inclusion in England’s Euro 2020 squad was announced on Tuesday, the Leeds United midfielder’s phone buzzed relentlessly with messages of congratulations.
One came from Walter “Sonny” Sweeney, who first spotted Phillips’s potential when playing for Wortley Juniors at a summer tournament in August 2010.
Sweeney, a Glaswegian who joined Leeds as a player aged 15 and who now works as a senior academy scout for the club, swiftly set about securing Phillips’s services.
“I congratulated Kalvin on being named in England’s Euros squad and told him to enjoy it because he absolutely deserves it,” 72-year-old Sweeney tells i.
“I always said to him that all his hard work and dedication would pay off. Kalvin is like a son to me, so I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Phillips, 25, came through the ranks at Elland Road, and during a fine debut campaign in the Premier League he has gone on to win seven caps and become an England regular.
“He’s comfortable in the Premier League, isn’t he? He’s playing within himself at times,” Sweeney said.
“Opposition teams might think ‘Phillips is running the show for Leeds, let’s keep him under pressure’.
“But he’s learnt now how to deal with it and he’s got better with experience.
“Kalvin has always been a good passer of the ball and that was what caught my eye when I first watched him.
“It was a Saturday afternoon and his hairstyle made him stand out but he got on the ball and was pinging it about brilliantly.
“He was knocking it long and short and I thought, ‘hold on, this boy can play’.
“I took Kalvin’s details and made it known that I wanted to bring him into Leeds United, which we did.
“The following Wednesday, I saw him again at the trials for Leeds City Boys, so he was a relatively late developer.”
When Marcelo Bielsa arrived at Elland Road three summers ago, he transformed Phillips into a deep-lying defensive midfielder.
The move proved a masterstroke and Sweeney reasoned: “Having his back to goal didn’t suit Kalvin but Bielsa put him in front of the back four and he sees everything in front of him.
“Technically, Kalvin is outstanding and that half-volleyed pass to Jack Harrison at Burnley recently, to create a goal for Rodrigo, was sensational.
“You watch him in the Euros and he will flourish. Southgate loves Kalvin because he knows how he can play and how reliable he is – he trusts him.
“He can defend the back four, he can play in the back four, and his passing can help England on the front foot and set up their attacks.
“He’s going to be playing against better players and it will improve him because he will have to move the ball even quicker now.
“I’ve watched nearly every game he’s played this season and there are very few where I’ve been disappointed.
“He’s usually at least a seven out of 10, but quite often higher.”
Sweeney still feels there is room for improvement in Phillips’s goalscoring and discipline.
He added: “He could perhaps shoot a bit more because he strikes such a great ball.
“Now he’s a top England international, he’ll have the confidence to take free-kicks, like he did in the final game against West Brom.
“He can still be a bit wonky with his tackling and I was worried when he dived in and injured his shoulder against West Brom.
“Now, though, I’m quite confident he will do well at the Euros. He’ll be a top player in the world then.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2S9Ze8P
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