West Ham United: Gareth Southgate keen on Kalvin Phillips amid England development
Gareth Southgate was desperate to include West Ham midfielder and Manchester City loanee Kalvin Phillips, but picked Manchester United ace Kobbie Mainoo instead, per ESPN.
The news outlet reported on 27 March that despite picking another midfielder in thee 18-year-old Manchester United man who’s burst onto the scene this season, Southgate did not opt for Phillips.
The reason is that, despite wanting to pick him, he could not justify his inclusion, as revealed by ESPN sources, which meant that he was not called up.
Phillips’ struggles at West Ham and Manchester City cost him England spot
Southgate made the right call by not selecting Phillips for the England squad due to the midfielder’s decline in form since joining Manchester City and his subsequent struggles at West Ham.
The 28-year-old has faced challenges adapting to Pep Guardiola’s system at City and has been unable to regain his confidence and form.
Despite Southgate’s desire to include Phillips in the squad, his lack of performance in recent matches, coupled with the emergence of younger talents like Mainoo, led to Phillips being overlooked.
Additionally, Phillips’ slow start at the London Stadium, marked by costly mistakes in games, indicates that he has yet to find his footing at his new club.
The Three Lions head coach’s decision reflects the need to prioritise players in better form and those who can effectively contribute to the team’s performance and Phillips needs to focus on impressing David Moyes first.
If he performs like that, Moyes or anyone is unlikely to want him in the summer.
In other West Ham news, Michael Owen has been left fuming amid a recent controversy in London involving the Hammers.
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