Kalvin Phillips expressed that the “narratives” following Pep Guardiola’s remarks about his weight made him feel “frustrated.” Guardiola had apologized for saying in December 2022 that Phillips returned from the Qatar World Cup “overweight.” Now on loan at Ipswich, Phillips shared on the “My Mate’s a Footballer” podcast that the speculation on social media “just kind of grew and grew” after those comments.
As a guest alongside his former Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford and comedian Joe Wilkinson, the 28-year-old mentioned, “Every club that I’d go to, where I spoke to the manager and the nutritionist and stuff like that, they’d always speak about weight before they’d say anything else.”
Phillips also discussed Guardiola’s tactical insights, the negativity from former players during Euro 2024, and his enjoyment under Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.
Reflecting on Guardiola, Phillips, who joined Manchester City in 2022 for £45m, described being “gobsmacked” by his footballing intelligence upon arriving at the Etihad Stadium. He recalled how, before their first Premier League match against West Ham, Guardiola predicted the game’s flow. “He said, ‘West Ham are going to start well, they’re going to put us under pressure and then we’re going to have a little bit of time… if Kevin plays it behind for Erling, we’re more than likely going to score,'” Phillips remembered. Ultimately, Haaland scored twice, with an assist from De Bruyne.
Regarding negativity from former England players during Euro 2024, Phillips, who played every match in Euro 2020, said he was shocked by the criticism aimed at the team. After a disappointing draw with Denmark, pundits like Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker were vocal about their disappointment. Phillips found it “absolutely crazy” how well the squad managed to ignore such negativity while reaching the final, where they finished as runners-up to Spain.
Since joining Ipswich over the summer, Phillips admitted that while he “never expected” to be at the club, he is “loving” his time in Suffolk. He connected with Ipswich defender Leif Davies, who encouraged him before the transfer. “Leif was Facetiming me every day for the three weeks before I signed,” Phillips said, noting that he knew “straight away” that McKenna would “put trust in me and make sure that everything that he did was for my benefit.” So far this season, Phillips has played three league games for Ipswich, who are still searching for their first win.
