SONNY JOY AT KALVIN’S BIG CHANCE
KALVIN PHILLIPS was this week congratulated by the man who set him on the road to stardom with Leeds United… and England.
Veteran scout Walter ‘Sonny’ Sweeney first spotted Phillips’ potential when he was playing for Wortley Juniors at a summer tournament a decade ago and swiftly set about securing his services.
Phillips, 24, progressed through the ranks at Elland Road and, after helping Leeds to reach the Premier League, he has now been handed a maiden England call-up.
The homegrown midfielder has never represented his country at any level but has thrived under Marcelo Bielsa and could feature in next month’s Nations League games against Iceland and Denmark.
Sweeney still works as an academy scout for Leeds and in 1982 he formed local amateur club Churwell Lions, which spawned former Whites captains Richard Naylor and Jonny Howson.
The 71-year-old Scot said: “I was watching a junior tournament in Leeds in August 2010 and I noticed Kalvin straight away.
“His hairstyle made him stand out but he got on the ball and was pinging it about, which is something you don’t see with most young kids.
“He was knocking it long g and short and I thought ‘hold on, this boy can play’.
“I took Kalvin’s details and nd made it known that I wanted ed 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. To see Kalvin now, I’m so proud of how far he has come and I regularly text him and say, ‘Keep working hard, I’m sure you will play for England’.
“I messaged him on Tuesday when the England squad was announced and said, ‘Well done, you deserve it’.
“He replied with a picture of an England flag and a ‘thumbs-up’ sign!
“It’s absolutely brilliant and I’m sure if he gets one England cap he will go on to get many more because he’s got the ability.”
Sweeney, who arrived at Elland Road as a teenager when legendary Don Revie was manager, was a Scotland schoolboys captain but was unable to establish himself in a starstudded side.
He believes Bielsa must take huge credit for Phillips’ (left) meteoric rise and added: “Bielsa is a great coach and what he has done is play Kalvin in his best position.
“Kalvin is a great passer of the ball and his attitude is fantastic but Bielsa has made him what he is by playing to his strengths.”
Sweeney believes Phillips’ close-knit family have proved crucial to his success.
His mother Lindsay Crosby is his biggest supporter and Sweeney said: “Kalvin loves his family and is such a grounded young man. Nobody deserves it more.”