Nat Phillips has made a habit of challenging expectations at Liverpool. So there should have been no real surprise that rather than seeing his Reds career come to a close, deadline day saw the 24-year-old centre-back pen a new four-year contract at the club. Phillips had been courted by several suitors throughout the summer having bolstered his reputation significantly during a breakthrough campaign last term. But ultimately the centre-back was happy to stay and fight for his place with the Reds willing to offer an improved deal.
Nat Phillips said: “After last year, it’s really nice to get that reward from the club. I’m happy to be sticking around and being available if the club need to call on me again. Hopefully I can bring more of the same with whatever opportunities come my way. Over the off-season I had a bit of time to reflect on what had happened throughout the season, how it ended and to be proud of that. It was a dramatic change, no-one saw it coming, I didn’t see it coming – the circumstances that unfolded whereby I ended up playing regularly for Liverpool’s first team. For anybody playing for Liverpool’s first team, that is going to be life-changing. For me it’s the same. It’s brought about this opportunity as well, so I’d say so.”
Having previously had just one FA Cup outing under his belt, Phillips was close to joining Championship side Swansea City last October before the deal collapsed. Within weeks, a defensive injury crisis handed the defender a Premier League debut, with Phillips going on to make 20 appearances in the campaign and help guide the Reds to Champions League qualification. Phillips, though, is pragmatic.
Nat Phillips said: “It’s endless really, the amount that you can learn, when you’ve got the likes of Virg, Joel, Ibou and Joe. They’ve all got different qualities. For me, Virg is the best in the world at his position, which is also my position, so what an opportunity for me to be able to stick around for longer and continue to learn from his game and try to draw things that I can maybe implement into my game. What are the levels like in training? The highest, really. I don’t imagine around Europe there’s anywhere that’s higher, or if not much higher. So again, training with these guys, coming up against our front three in training, that’s the best practice you’re going to get.”
Phillips earned huge praise form Jurgen Klopp for the manner in which he stepped into the defensive breach. However, he admits it wasn’t exactly love at first sight from the Reds boss.
Nat Phillips said: “I remember one conversation distinctly between me and the manager when I was first up with the first team training. He said initially when he first saw me play that he wasn’t that keen! But once he started to work closely with me and saw how I trained and how I improved in the time that I’d spent training with the first team – I think that’s what he saw and liked and made him decide that he wanted to work with me and try to help me throughout my career. He’s done so much for me.”
Phillips attained status last season among supporters for his no-nonsense approach to defending and heading in particular.
Nat Phillips added: “To know that I’ve got the fans’ support and that they’re behind me, it’s nice when people say that they feel like they can identify with me – I think that’s a huge compliment in itself. By now they obviously know what to expect from me and know that I’m always going to put absolutely everything in whenever I get the opportunity.”
