Manchester City are delighted to announce the signing of Calvin Phillips on a six-year contract.
Men’s team
Phillips can’t wait to get started
The 26-year-old midfielder joins from Leeds United having made 234 appearances over eight seasons, scoring 14 goals and assisting 14.
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In addition to the widespread admiration for his performances at national level with the Elland Road club, Calvin has also received plaudits for his impressive individual and collective contribution to the England team.
He was one of the key components of the Three Lions side that reached the final of Euro 2020 last summer and also played an important role in helping guide the national team to this year’s World Cup finals in Qatar.
“I am absolutely delighted to have joined Manchester City,” Phillips said.
“City have proven once again that they are the best team in the country with an incredible squad and a manager in Pep Guardiola who is rightly regarded as the best in the world.
“To be able to play under Pep and learn from him and his coaching staff and be part of such a fantastic team is a prospect I’m incredibly excited about.”
“City are a world-class club with world-class staff and facilities and it is a dream come true to join the club.
“Now I can’t wait to get started and try to help the team move forward and achieve more success.”
Men’s team
Phillips’ team number confirmed
Director of Football Chiki Begiristain added: “Calvin is a player we have long admired and both at national and international level he has proven his fantastic ability and quality over the past few seasons.
“His reading of the game, along with his passing ability, energy and drive make him a great talent and he is a player who has a fantastic will to win.
“We feel that he will be a great addition to our team and that he will complement our game perfectly.
“Everyone here is looking forward to watching Calvin play and develop even more over the next few years.”
Special photo
Gallery: Calvin Phillips joins Manchester City
Premier League thoroughbred
A key component of Gareth Southgate’s England squad, Phillips has cemented his position as one of the Premier League’s standout defensive midfielders over the past few seasons.
Armed with a great passing range and astute tactical awareness, Phillips combines these key attributes alongside his formidable stamina and infectious appetite for success.
Possessing impressive technique, he is able to receive the ball under pressure and can also break the lines in central areas of the game.
With eight seasons of experience at Elland Road under his belt, Phillips’ career has been one of constant upward trajectory.
Born and bred in Leeds, Phillips joined the club’s Elland Road Academy as a 14-year-old, impressing as he progressed through the club’s age groups initially as a more central midfielder.
After being an unused substitute in an FA Cup third round tie with Sunderland in January 2015, Phillips subsequently made his first team debut against Wolves in April of that year.
Calvin then made his senior home debut, scoring in a 2-1 defeat by Cardiff in the same month in 2015.
After subsequently making 10 appearances in the 2015/16 season, Phillips’ Leeds career really took off in the 2016/17 campaign, with Phillips playing a total of 40 times.
He then featured 43 times the following campaign as he continued his footballing education, and also won the Championship Young Player of the Month award for the first time in October 2017.
However, the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as Leeds manager in the summer of 2018 proved to be a transformative moment in Phillips’ career.
The appointment of the visionary former Argentina and Chile boss has made Phillips a deeper player in the engine room as well as being deployed in central defense at times.
He made the transition with aplomb, making 46 appearances in Bielsa’s first season in charge at Elland Road, scoring three goals.
Such was his instant impact, Phillips earned a place in the EFL Championship Team of the Year as Leeds finished third in the table, only to be pipped by Darby in the Championship play-off semi-final.
In the 2019/20 campaign interrupted by COVID, Phillips was once again a tower of strength, making 40 appearances in total and proving to be a key figure in helping Leeds finally end the Club’s 16-year absence from the top flight. after winning a promotion.
Eligible to play for England as well as Jamaica and the Republic of Ireland through his family heritage, ahead of Leeds’ return to the Premier League, Phillips was included in the England squad for the first time in August 2020.
He subsequently made his international debut in a Nations League clash with Denmark the following month, becoming only the third player this century to play for the Three Lions before turning out in a top-flight game – following in the footsteps of Jack Butland and Wilfred Zaha.
On the same day, Phillips was also named as part of the PFA Team of the Championship for the 2019/20 season.
His first season in the Premier League saw Phillips further refine his tactical awareness and adaptability as he went from strength to strength, recording his 200th appearance for Leeds along the way.
After helping Leeds finish ninth on their return to the table, Phillips then further confirmed his quality in the summer of 2021 by starting every game as England reached the Euro 2020 final.
The 26-year-old won praise from pundits, fans and the media for a series of battling, dynamic performances as Gareth Southgate’s side reached a first final for 55 years before eventually being beaten on penalties by Italy.
Indeed, such was his impact for the Three Lions, he was named the 2020-21 BT England Men’s Player of the Year, beating Mason Mount and new City team-mate Raheem Sterling to the honour.
Although the 2021/22 season proved a more challenging affair for Leeds, Phillips continued to impress before his campaign was cut short by a hamstring injury which ruled him out for almost four months, although he returned in the spring to help for the Yorkshire team to retain their first-class status.
Welcome to Manchester City Calvin!
SEASON BY SEASON STATISTICS
2014/15
Games played: 2 goals: 1
2015/16
Games played: 10
2016/17
Games played: 40 Goals: 1 Assists: 2
2017/18
Matches played: 43 goals: 7 assists: 3
2018/19
Matches played: 46 goals: 1 assists: 3
2019/20
Games played: 40 Goals: 2 Assists: 2
2020/21
Matches played: 30 Goals: 1 Assists: 3
2021/22
Matches played: 23 goals: 1 assists: 1
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