HAMMERTIME FOR KALVIN
I lost my fire at City ...now I’ve got it back Southgate persuaded me to stay in England
KALVIN PHILLIPS believes West Ham are the perfect club to reignite the fire in his belly.
The January loan arrival is chomping at the bit, having made just six starts in 18 months at Manchester City, and now he hopes to fall back in love with football all over again.
Phillips said: “I’ve probably lost that fire within me over the past 18 months. That’s what I feel like.
“Don’t get me wrong, I still go into games and want to smash people, get stuck in and run about as much as I can.
“But when you’ve not demonstrated that in a game for so long, you kind of forget what it feels like.
“It was only the other day against Bournemouth and [Manchester] United that I felt that feeling again.”
Phillips only stayed at City last summer because his childhood sweetheart Ashleigh was in the midst of pregnancy.
But he wanted his Irons move so badly that he spent a week away from his partner and three-month-old baby boy Kaelo settling into his new apartment in Stratford, east London.
It should come as no surprise that David Moyes’ long-standing interest – having previously tried to sign both Phillips and Raphinha from Leeds – helped sway the coveted midfielder as transfer rivals battled for his signature.
Phillips added: “I think it was just the size of the club – and the manager influenced me a lot.
“He told me he’s been after me for the last few transfer windows. I just felt like if I wasn’t going to play at City, I want to go to a club where I’m wanted.”
Phillips also consulted England teammate Declan Rice (below) before finalising his decision and unsurprisingly the ex-west Ham captain offered a glowing review of the place he used to call home.
Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate cynically advised his star against a move overseas ahead of Euro 2024, despite a formal offer from Juventus.
Phillips said: “I spoke to Gareth probably about a month before the window opened. I said what teams were interested, mentioning Juventus and Newcastle, but I didn’t know about West Ham at the time.
“He said the Premier League is a lot more difficult and a more competitive league versus playing anywhere else... it’s just that little bit of a step down in quality.
“He influenced me to stay in England – and West Ham was the right place to go.”
The former Leeds anchorman admits he’s “still caught in between Pep’s way of playing” as he adapts to the tactical strategies of Moyes.
So far, his obsession with possession has proven to be his own worst enemy.
“In the last few games I’ve made mistakes, simply because I’m trying to get used to the people around me and the way we play,” he said. “Against Bournemouth, I felt very lethargic, a little bit heavy in my legs towards the end of the first half.
“It just comes down to game time and, now I’m grasping the idea, hopefully the mistakes will now stop.” Phillips received pointers from Marcelo Bielsa during an emotional phone call amid his darkest City days and he is convinced he has become a better player under Guardiola, despite his stark lack of minutes.
He said: “I’m not really bothered about the narrative anyone has towards me. I just wanted to play football and become happy again – whether that was with Man City or West Ham.
“The last 18 months have been long, but I learned more in those 18 months than I have in my whole career.
“I don’t regret signing for City. It has grown me as a person and as a player.”