Tomas Soucek has given his honest verdict on Kalvin Phillips’ as a player since joining West Ham United.
Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester City on loan for the rest of the Premier League season in the January transfer window.
The defensive midfielder was signed by Pep Guardiola in the summer of 2022 but has struggled for minutes ever since making the move from Leeds United.
Phillips played just 31 games in his first 18 months at City, at an average of 29.4 minutes per appearance.
Things haven’t fared much better for the 28-year-old since joining the Hammers, either, as he is yet to complete 90 minutes in his seven games and was taken off at half-time at the weekend.
Phillips’ fellow midfielder Tomas Soucek insists he is a good player but is finding things understandably difficult at the moment.
Tomas Soucek verdict on Kalvin Phillips
Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, Soucek said: “I see him every day.
“He plays in good form in the sessions but it is very difficult for him, because after maybe two years at Manchester City, for any player who doesn’t play that often it’s very difficult to play in the games.
“It’s difficult for him but we all support him, we are with him. He’s a hard worker, which I like.
“I like his style and wish him all the best for the future. He’s an important player for us, and he’s a very good player.”
Where does the future lie for Phillips?
It looks as though Phillips has had his confidence completely destroyed by his disastrous spell at City.
It’s easy to forget now but City did sign an accomplished Premier League player who had performed at the highest level for England.
That seems a million miles away now, though, as he continues to struggle at West Ham.
Phillips is contracted to City until 2028, though, so he may be sticking around the Etihad for longer than expected unless the Blues are willing to swallow a massive loss on the fee they paid for him.
City will struggle to get even half of the £45m they paid back and Phillips’ future will likely lie in another loan next season.
