The Rise of the Yorkshire Pirlo

By Lawrence O'Sullivan 

Kalvin Phillips is tied down to Elland Road until 2024. Blue, Yellow and Write looks at his journey from the player who divided opinion to the Yorkshire Pirlo. 

In the summer of 2015 there wasn't too much to be hopeful about regarding Leeds United as the club searched for a marketing campaign to flog season tickets and a sponsor less new strip. 

The one thing they could hold on to was a quartet of academy products that made up over a third of United's line up, Sam Byram, Charlie Taylor, Lewis Cook and Alex Mowatt. There was also one more academy graduate that had just broken into the first team and scored on his home debut, that had been left out of the advertising campaign and not included in the group that Neil Redfearn once optimistically compared to the young contingent afforded to Don Revie's early years. Maybe it was too soon to be bigged up after his breakthrough? maybe he was'nt rated as highly as the other four? But if you added Phillips to that quartet to make a quintet, he is the sole survivor at Elland Road, and has been for over two years now, 

It took the departures of the fab four for Phillips to claim a regular place in the starting line up, first under Garry Monk and then more frequently under Thomas Christiansen in 2017. He was deployed as more offensive midfielder and added goals to his game, 5 in the opening 3 months of 2017-18. However, as the consistency of his performances suffered and his goal supply dried up many, including myself began to ask questions of the young Yorkshire man. Is he good enough? What position is he? and at what point is it not enough for a young player to show potential and finally deliver consistently? Kalvin Phillips became one of the main divisions of opinion on the terraces as some argued that if he wasn't a Leeds lad, fans would of given up on him by now, 

But as the 2017-18 season closed and non-effective manager Paul Heckingbottom was shown the door, many thought the same fate would happen to a number of Leeds' playing staff too. To be fair an exodus did happen, but two names that weren't included on the departures list, that many thought would be, not only appeared on the retained list but also that of the Championship Team of the Year. Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips. These two players, seemingly ready for the scrap heap were hand picked by the incoming Marcelo Bielsa as two players he would especially improve. The latter had become so indispensable by the end of last season that a new improved contract was one of the highest priorities of the board this summer, amidst the Premier League vultures knocking on the door. 

Perhaps the biggest factor in Kalvin Phillips becoming arguably the most important cog in Bielsa's Leeds machine was the Argentine's decision to use him as the pivotal deep lying midfield linchpin so crucial to his system. He acts as the bridge of play from the defence to the midfield and the ignition of all turnovers of play and when attacking he sits in between the two central defenders to make a back three and create a team balance as the full backs take up an advanced position. This is integral to Bielsa's philosophy. 

However, this positional change wasn't an overnight success. Twice by October last Phillips was substituted even before half time both away to Swansea and at home to Birmingham with Leeds trailing both games at the time. Although, Bielsa did take the blame for these decisions and state it as a tactical change rather than a criticism of his performance. 

But these two occasions proved to be exceptions to the rule and the only games he did miss were the three he missed due to suspension for a red card at Forest on New Year's Day and and also curiously he was benched for the do or die clash with Brentford on Easter Monday. Needless to say, he was missed. 

One of the biggest measurements in Phillip's rise is perhaps that there is no longer the debates regarding his ability in the stands but instead they sing in unison as they hail the "Yorkshire Pirlo". 

It was a nervy transfer window this summer with clubs, in particular Aston Villa showing a keen interest in the midfielder but fans can breath a sigh of relief with the window closed and his signing up to his boyhood club for the next 5 years. Contracts being contracts these days suggests that should Leeds again fail to win promotion and Phillips replicates his form of last season he will be a Premier League player next year regardless. But this is a triumph for the fans who have seen so many promising talents leave before they truly got to shine in West Yorkshire, the aforementioned Taylor, Cook, Byram and Mowatt included. But who knows, the one overlooked as the future of Leeds United in 2015 may just be the best of the lot!