PHILLIPS PUTS IN A BIG SHOW FOR SOUTHGATE

KALVIN PHILLIPS looked timid when he made his England debut in September against Denmark, uncertain of his position and perhaps doubting whether he fully deserved to be with the squad. What a transformation from the 24-year-old Leeds United midfielder on Saturday in front of the watching Gareth Southgate. Should he keep performing as he did in this significant victory for his club, passing the ball with panache and pressing as if his life depended on it, Phillips will return for March’s World Cup qualification fixtures and be sure of his place in Southgate’s squad next summer.

His display was summed up in the final minutes when he fizzed a 60-yard pass from one side of the pitch to the other before scampering over to Helder Costa to provide support. As much as Raphinha, the superb Brazilian whose goal settled the contest excelled, Phillips was the heartbeat for Leeds United. ‘We don’t have one really good individual player, we’re a team and we work hard as a team — I am not taking any credit,’ said

Phillips, deflecting any praise. ‘It’s nice (that Southgate was watching). I put in a good performance but need to keep working hard. Leeds have recovered from back-to-back 4-1 defeats by Leicester and Crystal Palace with clean sheets against Arsenal and Everton, while maintaining the sense of adventure that embodies their play. Raphinha, a £17million summer signing from Rennes, was fabulous from the first minute but there were other big contributions from sentries such as Luke Ayling, Jack Harrison, Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas. On this evidence, Leeds will win plenty of games in the coming months. Everton have taken only four points out of the last 18 and boss Carlo Ancelotti said: ‘What we are doing at the moment is not enough. We have to put in a bit more in terms of character.’