Kalvin Phillips has outlined the notable differences between Manchester City and Leeds United, as the Englishman gears up to potentially make his Premier League debut for the Sky Blues.
It is common to witness new signings experience a marked improvement under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola at City.
There is not a finer example of the aforementioned statement than Bernardo Silva, who has evolved from being a silky winger to one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe.
Advert
Similarly, time has allowed Rodri to develop into one of, if not the standout defensive midfielder in the world.
In the case of Joao Cancelo as well, it has boggled the mind to watch the Portuguese international stake a claim for being the most in-form player in an unfamiliar left-back role.
Another player that could undergo a similar transformation is summer recruit Kalvin Phillips, who has already joined Manchester City as one of the Premier League’s most highly-rated number sixes.
Signed from Leeds United for a £42 million fee, the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ discussed what he plans to improve in his game at the Etihad Stadium.
“For me to improve as a player, I need to become better technically and understand my role, a lot more tactically.
Advert
Over the last week, I’ve watched some of the players in training and you can see how good they are and how much Pep has helped them learn certain things in the game”, he said in an interview with GQ magazine.
Phillips continued: “City have the ball a lot more than other teams so just to become better on the ball and to make the right decisions all the time are things I'm wanting to learn a lot more of and improve on.
“Pep’s a very demanding manager and I'm pretty sure he will push me and help me to achieve that.”
The 26-year old was also quizzed about how his signature all-action style will fit into Guardiola’s technically demanding system.
Advert
“When I played with Leeds, there was a lot of mileage that you had to cover but with City because we have the ball for so much time, they aren't really bothered about distance recovery.
“It's more about on the ball and defending when you need to defend. It is going to be different and it's going to be strange, but I know that, obviously, I'm quite a fit football player and I can run a lot. If it is ever required, then at least I've got that in my tank”, he explained.
The English midfielder was also questioned about the differences he has noticed between his boyhood club and the Sky Blues during his early days.
Advert
“I didn't realise what Man City was like before I came here, but just the way that they are and everything that we've got, everything they work to achieve. It's just different.
“Even with the players, how they are, they come in and they want to win. They don't want to lose; they want to win all the time. Obviously, footballers want to win, but I've never noticed it so much [as I have] here in a football team.”
Over time, it is expected that Kalvin Phillips will grow leaps and bounds in all aspects of his game, as is the case with many players at a club that belongs right amongst the European elite.
Featured Image Credit: Manchester City/ManCity.comTopics: Manchester City, Kalvin Phillips, Leeds United, Pep Guardiola
