‘Spoke to him the other day’: Kalvin Phillips details how Ben White feels about failed Leeds bid
Kalvin Phillips has revealed that Ben White was “gutted” that he didn’t return to Leeds United this summer.
However, according to Phillips, he’s now trying to put his disappointment behind him and get on with playing football.
White spent a very successful season on-loan at Leeds and helped them to promotion and the Championship title.
Leeds tried in vain to sign him on a permanent deal this summer with Brighton refusing to budge and saying they wouldn’t deal with a direct rival.
Phillips was talking to the Leeds That podcast when he said, “I spoke to Ben after his game the other day. Obviously, he was gutted at the time when he didn’t sign, but it came to a point where you have to just forget about the chance to play for Leeds and just play football.
“I don’t really talk to him about football now, just ask how he and his family are doing.”
Bromance back on?
Well, this is sad. But it confirms what Whites fans think about White and whether he’d prefer to be at Brighton or Leeds.
Ben White was gutted about not returning and the Leeds fans were gutted at him staying at Brighton, although the progress of Robin Koch has meant the breakup was easier to take.
Koch has really settled in at Leeds after a very tough first Premier League game against Liverpool and now looks rock solid.
White’s season with Brighton hasn’t gone so well. He’s been played out of position in the defensive midfield slot for the last two games.
Brighton are struggling and are fifth from bottom of the Premier League, while Leeds are currently flying high in fifth.
It shows that perhaps Leeds aren’t the direct rivals Brighton hoped they’d be this season.
Leeds fans haven’t given up hope of a reunion with White, although it may depend on Brighton dropping out of the top-flight this season.
And Phillips would love it after the two players developed a proper ‘bromance’ at Elland Road.
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa gave debut to one Leeds player after admitting he didn’t know if he was ‘any good’