Phillips shines thanks to smile and his inspirational mother

Mum’s the word for the Yorkshire Pirlo! Kalvin Phillips shines at Wembley thanks to his smile, a refusal to give up and his inspirational mother Lindsay – SPECIAL REPORT

• Kalvin Phillips was man-of-the-match for England against Croatia at Wembley
• The notable display shows he is now a settled part of this Three Lions squad
• His mother Lindsay refused to give up on his dream during remarkable journey
• Phillips has had a difficult year after his popular grandma Val passed away
• The midfielder is a hero at Leeds United after being at the club since age of 13 

Man of the match at Wembley. It is a title that carries a certain ring, one that shows how far a footballer has come in their life.

In a basic sense, Kalvin Phillips’ outstanding efforts against Croatia confirmed he is now a settled part of this England squad.

Where there were nerves on his debut last September against Denmark — when he only touched the ball twice, tentatively, in the first 17 minutes — there was now swagger.

Kalvin Phillips was the star at Wembley in England’s opening Group D match against Croatia

For the 25-year-old, though, this was much more than just playing well in an important match.

It was the culmination of a remarkable journey; a reward for the sacrifice of his beloved mother, Lindsay, and the refusal to give up on a dream. It has been a challenging year for Phillips, who lost his grandma five months ago.

Val was a matriarch and held in such affection by her grandson’s team-mates at Leeds that Stuart Dallas hoisted a shirt up in her memory after scoring in a 3-0 win against Southampton in February.

Phillips brought joy to Val’s life and continues to light the way for Lindsay. His dad, Mark, spent much of his childhood, according to his son, ‘in and out of prison’ and is currently in HM Prison Wealstun. 

He has been on a remarkable journey with mother Linsday (left) and his grandma Val (right)

In such circumstances, it may have been easy for a young boy to become distracted. But, speaking to those who know him best, the testimonies not only reflect Lindsay’s outstanding guidance but also the application that has so impressed Gareth Southgate.

His first steps to Wembley began at Wortley, on the outskirts of Leeds. Phillips turned up at the club when he was eight and it was apparent to everyone that a young boy had arrived on their doorstep with a unique ability.

‘Kalvin was a star from when we first saw him,’ says Paul Hatfield, who was his first coach. ‘He stayed with us until Leeds signed him at 13. As he got older, he just got better. He had this understanding of the game and his attitude to improve has never changed.

‘What he did was always with 100 per cent effort and he always did it with a smile. Lindsay used to bring him to every session. She’d then take his younger brother, Tyrell, on to his game. The commitment from his family was just superb.’ That commitment has remained.

The Leeds United man put in a dominant display in opening game and was man-of-the-match

Phillips has never forgotten the education and opportunity he received and he has become a source of inspiration to a new generation, who are desperate to emulate the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’. ‘We are so proud of him,’ said Stuart Haley, Wortley’s chairman. ‘Nobody has ever had a bad word to say about the kid.

‘He has just listened his whole life. The kids idolise him. Every shirt at training has ‘Phillips’ on the back and they are now even growing their hair like him!

‘He comes back when he can to help with presentations. When he does return, he always remembers Paul and his other coach Ian Thackray. We’ve got 23 teams here and the club has been in existence since 1974. What he has done is provide inspiration for everyone.’

Phillips is Leeds United through and through, a product of their academy who became the first player from Elland Road to be capped by England for 16 years when he started against Denmark — at that point having not kicked a ball in the Premier League. 

He laid on the assist for Raheem Sterling’s opening goal which proved to be the match winner

Some wondered whether it was a leap of faith from Gareth Southgate to pick him but England’s head coach does not gamble. He knew there was a player waiting to emerge, just as Neil Redfearn did when he handed Phillips a Leeds debut in April 2015.

Then United boss Redfearn recognised Phillips had an attitude that would allow him to thrive under pressure in the same way Southgate knew he would respond against Croatia.

‘It was a fantastic performance against Croatia,’ Redfearn enthused. ‘He is a top player but he is also a top person and it is always nice to see good people do well. He was in a really good group with the Under 18s and Under 23s, they were all genuinely nice kids.

‘Gareth was an apprentice when I played at Crystal Palace — I love him to bits. I thought he was really strong in his decisions. He really believes in his players, particularly the young ones, and if you are good enough, you are old enough.

Phillips is now a settled part of the England squad despite only making his debut late last year

‘That’s how it is with Kalvin. He played that position for me when he made his debut at Wolves.

‘We lost 4-3 but he played as No 8. He can pass but he can score too. We are talking about a proper player here. The ability was always there and he has thrived with Marcelo Bielsa.’

Bielsa gave Phillips a Newell’s Old Boys shirt — his club in Argentina — to mark his first England call-up. On the pitch, the Leeds boss has given him a platform to display his ability and coaxed outstanding improvement from him.

England are reaping the rewards and Phillips has shown he can deal with the big occasion. But, above all, he has demonstrated that perseverance reaps rewards. On this evidence, there will be more man-of-the-match awards. 

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