Paul Heckingbottom shares new Kalvin Phillips verdict after what he saw at Leeds United
Paul Heckingbottom has compared Kalvin Phillips’ early struggles at West Ham to a period he faced when coming through with Leeds United.
The former Leeds boss recalled when the midfielder started playing for Leeds and received some stick from the crowd at Elland Road, but overcame it rather than letting it knock his confidence.
Phillips has faced a “disaster” start to his West Ham career, drawing heavy criticism for his lacklustre performances in East London since joining from Manchester City.
The pair were live on talkSPORT [27 February, 09:24] as Stelling asked: “What’s he like as a lad? I’ve seen interviews, but in terms of confidence levels, is he a confident boy or does he suffer from drops and a lack of confidence?”
Heckingbottom responded: “Everybody wants nice things said about them. I remember when I went in at Leeds, him and Ronaldo Vieira, two young boys who’d come through the system, it was probably the first time they got a bit of stick from the home crowd.
“Local boys usually get a little bit protected, but he came through that, and this is the same type of thing. I’d seen him through the youth team so I knew what a player he was, and he’s gone above and beyond.
“He’s been player of the year for England and been right at the top. Now it’s about getting there consistently.”
Kalvin Phillips has struggled since leaving Leeds United
There has been heavy criticism of the midfielder since his January loan move, having made sloppy errors during his first couple of games before being sent off for two bookable offences against Nottingham Forest.
However, based on his time at Elland Road, Phillips has been backed to overcome any adversity and criticism thrown at him in his pursuit of constant improvement as Heckingbottom saw him make.
Part of Phillips’ struggle since arriving at West Ham has come from the criticism he received from Pep Guardiola for being overweight which knocked his confidence – something he reportedly also struggled with during his time at Leeds.
Heckingbottom’s insistence that Phillips can continue to go from strength to strength will provide a boost both to West Ham fans and the player, as well as to any Leeds fans keenly tracking the progress of a star academy graduate.
In other Leeds United news, Chris Sutton made a prediction ahead of the Chelsea clash.
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