Kalvin Phillips has yet to establish himself as a prominent player for Manchester City.
Even though City paid £45m to sign the midfielder back in 2022, Phillips has only appeared in 31 matches for the club.
One of the reasons for that is down to Rodri, who has been one of City’s most important players in recent years.
In fact, the Spaniard has appeared in at least 33 Premier League games during every campaign he’s featured in prior to this current one.
Unfortunately for City, Guardiola said that Rodri will be out injured for the season after damaging his ACL against Arsenal.
Now in the midst of another international break, Phillips has shared his feelings about the City star and what recognition he feels the Spain international deserves.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Kalvin Phillips says Rodri deserves to win the Ballon d’Or
When asked if he thinks Rodri deserves to win the Ballon d’Or this year in a recent video shared on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel, Phillips said this in response.
He said: “I think so. I think he deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. He has done everything that you could possibly do to win the Ballon d’Or.”
Who else thinks Rodri should win the Ballon d’Or?
Phillips isn’t the only person to share this sentiment about the City star, as Lothar Matthaus gave this explanation on why Rodri should win the Ballon d’Or.
He said: “For me, Rodri deserves the Ballon d’Or more than Vinicius [Junior].
“He was the thinker and leader of the Spain champion of the European Championship and also won the Premier League with Manchester City.
“He is the most outstanding player of the year.”
In addition to that, Alan Shearer claimed that Rodri’s recent injury should have no impact on who wins the Ballon d’Or.
As Matthaus explained, not only did Rodri play a big role in seeing City secure their historic fourth consecutive Premier League trophy last season, he then went on to help Spain win the 2024 European Championship.
This highlights why Phillips thinks his midfield rival in the City squad has reached the bar in terms of the criteria to win the Ballon d’Or.
