Leeds United captain Liam Cooper pays tribute to ‘unbelievable’ Kalvin Phillips
Leeds United defender Liam Cooper has paid a wonderful tribute to the outgoing midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The 26-year-old officially joined Manchester City on a six-year deal from the Whites on Monday.
Leeds’ captain, on Twitter, recognized the contributions made by the England international as he secured his move to the Etihad Stadium.
“Like a proud Father,” he wrote.
“You have earned this chance and I have no doubt you will deliver like you always did for us. An unbelievable player but I’m more proud of the man you have become! Never change mate. Look after him.”
Despite having a rather average season according to his own standards, Phillips was an integral part of Leeds’ survival in the Premier League.
His importance is evident from the fact that with him in the team, the Whites secured 28 points from 20 matches which were considerably better than when he was absent from the playing XI — largely because of a hamstring injury — as the side only managed to secure 10 points from 18 fixtures.
Those numbers show that despite having fitness concerns, Phillips was undoubtedly one of the star performers for Leeds and his absence will be severely felt in the upcoming season no matter who comes in to replace him.
In the 2021-22 season, Phillips played 23 matches for Leeds across all competitions where he managed to score a goal and provided an assist.
Overall, the England international will leave the club after making 232 senior team appearances where he managed to score 13 goals and provided a similar amount of assists [Transfermarkt].
In other Leeds United news, the Whites now want to sign this striker with a rival set to kickstart a major £30million+ transfer battle