da betcris： With Declan Rice receiving a fair amount of criticism last weekend there has been debate as to who should play in the holding midfield role for the Three Lions.
da doce： One name that has been thrown out there is Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips.
Danny Higginbotham wrote a column in The Sun calling for the 23-year-old to be given a shot in the national team. While plenty of Twitter users have been pleading for the same thing.
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Should Gareth Southgate consider the Championship star for England duty?
It’s a tough one to decide, on one hand, Phillips has been immense over the past 12 months for the Elland Road outfit, but he’s also not played a single top-flight game in his career.
We asked our team of writers to give their views on whether or not the United star should be given a chance in the national team in the near future.
Matt Dawson
“This is an interesting debate and one that probably won’t go away until Leeds fans get their wish and see Phillips in a Three Lions shirt. It’s easy to suggest that Kalvin Phillips is one of the best in a holding role in the Championship, winning 3.9 tackles per game and also registering 1.4 interceptions. However, would that stand the test of international football? It’s incredibly difficult to work out given he’s never played among the elite in the Premier League.
“You can easily make a case for him to be given a shot but I sense Euro 2020 could well come too soon for him, even if he keeps his consistency up. Whether Declan Rice is the right man for England is another debate in itself but at least he’s been plying his trade in the top-flight. Gareth Southgate once hinted that Jack Grealish would have to play at the top level last season and the same should be applied to Phillips in this situation.”
Lewis Blain
“For me, it’s an easy no. Kalvin Phillips should not be considered for an England cap. Very rarely do players outside the elite leagues earn a call up to the England national team. In fact, the last outfield player to do so was Wilfried Zaha back in 2012 and that was only in a meaningless friendly before he switched allegiance to the Ivory Coast.
“There’s no denying that Phillips has outstanding potential as one of, if not the, best midfielders and overall players in the league. Via WhoScored, he averages 3.9 tackles and 2.1 key passes per game as the glue that holds Marcelo Bielsa’s team together in the heart of midfield. But at the end of the day, he’s playing against opposition that is in the second-tier who aren’t deemed good enough or haven’t found their way yet to the top. This division cannot be comparable to the Premier League let alone the international stage.
“He needs to either go up with Leeds this season or clinch a move to the top-flight before he can truly be considered for an England bow.”
Vijievan Jeevathayalan
“The man affectionately termed the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ surely warrants a chance in the England set-up. Kalvin Phillips has been a mainstay in a Leeds side that have been banging at the promotion door under Marcelo Bielsa and has really stepped up his game in the Championship this season.
“As per Whoscored, he boasts some incredible defensive numbers, not least of which his 3.9 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game. Compare that to the man who plays the most similar role for the Three Lions, Jordan Henderson, who averages just 1.8 tackles and one interception per game in the Premier League for Liverpool.
“Whilst Phillips may not be doing it week-in and week-out in the glitz and glamour of the top-flight, Gareth Southgate must take note of his Championship exploits. An England call-up really isn’t as far-fetched as it seems.”
Charles Jones
“Phillips is certainly good enough to play for England one day, but it’s a little too soon for anyone to be thinking about that just yet.
“The midfielder has never played in the Premier League, and while he may be considered one of the best players in the Championship it’s a huge step up.
“The 23-year-old shouldn’t be considered for international duty just yet as we’re yet to see him test himself against top-level players.
“Everything England do should be centred around attempting to win the next tournament, and with Phillips looking unlikely to play a single top-flight game before Euro 2020 he shouldn’t be looked at by Gareth Southgate just yet.”