Jurgen Klopp is a real fan of Nat Phillips, according to reports. There are three things he particularly rates about the 24-year-old.
This comes from the Athletic. They say that Jurgen Klopp seems some of himself in Nat Phillips.
Phillips has been something of a saviour for Liverpool this season, of course. With Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all out long-term, Phillips stood up to lead the defence.
It’s been quite remarkable, really. Phillips went into this season without any regular football at the top level, yet now he looks completely at home. We saw that as he produced match-winning moments at both ends against Burnley.
The standout was his goal, of course. Phillips headed home in the second half – his first senior goal. It was a fantastic moment and one we really hoped to see before the season was out.
But the Englishman also cleared one off the line to keep Liverpool’s clean sheet intact. That, says Phillips, was even better than the goal.
This game was really just a particularly special one, though. In truth, Phillips has been a reliable centre-back for months now – no one bats an eyelid at him being on the teamsheet.
It’s been a staggering rise from the start of the campaign, with Phillips demonstrating ability no one though he had. And according to the Athletic’s report, Klopp and his staff are particularly impressed about three things.
Jurgen Klopp rates Nat Phillips highly
Klopp and co. love Phillips’ ‘reading of the game, his positional play and his distribution’. All three things are absolutely vital to Liverpool, of course.
Most defensive work is against a counter-attack, after all, and if a defender can’t read the pass in behind, Liverpool are in trouble. Taking up the right positions is key, too, given how often the centre-backs are isolated.
Distribution is certainly important, on top of it all. Liverpool want to play out from the back with comfort – that’s a lot tougher to do if the centre-backs aren’t good with the ball.
But this line might be the most important: ‘His capacity to take on board information has helped take him to the next level’. Liverpool desperately needed that as they tried to build a defence mid-season.
Fortunately, Phillips was up to the task. Klopp ‘loves’ his attitude, says the Athletic, and it’s easy to see why. The way he’s adapted and developed this season, as a result of that attitude, has saved Liverpool’s season.
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