10 February 2024 , 22:30
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Kalvin Phillips believes West Ham are the perfect club to reignite the fire in his belly.
The marquee 28-year-old January loan arrival is chomping at the bit having made just six starts in 18 months at Manchester City and now he hopes to fall back in love with football all over again.
Phillips conceded: "I've probably lost that fire within me over the past 18 months. That's what I feel like. Don't get me wrong I still go into games and want to smash people, get stuck in and run about as much as I can. But when you've not demonstrated that in a game for so long you kind of forget what it feels like. It was only the other day against Bournemouth and [Manchester] United that I felt that feeling again."
Phillips, who only stayed at City last summer because his childhood sweetheart Ashleigh was in the midst of pregnancy, wanted his Irons move so badly - he spent a week away from his partner and three-month-old baby boy Kaelo settling into his new Stratford apartment.
It should come as no surprise that David Moyes ' long-standing interest - having previously tried to sign both Phillips and Raphinha from Leeds - helped sway the highly-coveted midfield lynchpin as transfer rivals battled for his signature.
The treble-winner added: "I think it was just the size of the club and the manager influenced me a lot. He told me he’s been after me for the last few transfer windows. I just felt like if I wasn’t going to play at City, I want to go to a club where I’m wanted.
"Not that City didn’t want me but I wanted to go somewhere where the manager was really keen and where he really wanted me. It sounded like a really good group down here. I want to feel like I’m at home wherever I go."
Phillips also consulted his England midfield partner Declan Rice before finalising his decision and unsurprisingly the ex-West Ham captain offered a glowing review of the place he used to call home.
Kalvin Phillips is loving life at West Ham (WEST HAM UNITED)Meanwhile, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate cynically advised his star against a move overseas ahead of upcoming European Championships in Germany despite a formal offer from Juventus.
Phillips explained: "So I spoke to Gareth probably about a month before the January transfer window opened. I just said what teams were interested in me at that time, that I knew about. I didn’t know about West Ham, to be honest. I knew that West Ham would probably come in a bit later in the window. I spoke to him about a few teams.
"I mentioned Juventus and I mentioned Newcastle, which could have been a possibility and he basically told me that he’s not going to tell me what to do but he said he thinks the Premier League is a lot more difficult, a more competitive league.
"He said to be playing in the Premier League versus playing anywhere else… it’s just that little bit of a step down in quality. So yeah, he influenced me to stay in England. And West Ham came in and I thought it was the right place to go."
Kalvin Phillips consulted England boss Gareth Southgate to discuss his future ahead of the January transfer window (Getty Images)Phillips categorically states he "definitely wouldn't" have made the England squad had he decided to stay put until the end of the season.
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The ex-Leeds anchorman is also humble enough to admit that he's "still caught in-between Pep's way of playing" as he slowly gets to grips with the tactical fundamentals of Moyes-ball.
So far, his obsession with possession has proven to be his own worst enemy, adding: "In the last few games I've made mistakes, simply because I'm trying to get used to the people around me and the way we play.
"Against Bournemouth I felt very lethargic, a little bit heavy in my legs towards the end of the first half. It just comes down to game-time and now I'm grasping the idea, hopefully the mistakes will now stop."
Kalvin Phillips endured a tough start to his West Ham career following his backpass against Bournemouth (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Phillips, who received heartfelt pointers from Marcelo Bielsa during an emotional phone call amid his darkest City days, remains convinced he's become a better player under Guardiola - despite his stark lack of minutes.
He said of Bielsa: "I spoke to him after the Leicester game [April 2023] at home. I made a mistake and I just felt s*** really. I remember going home and just being really upset with myself.
"It was probably the low-point confidence-wise since I'd been at City but then I spoke to him and he called me back via a translator and we had a conversation for around half an hour. Yeah, it was a good conversation to be honest."
Rather fittingly, Bielsa disclosed to Phillips that he'd watched every game he'd been involved in for City since his £45million transfer from Leeds in July 2022.
Kalvin Phillips joined West Ham in January despite interest from Newcastle and Juventus (WEST HAM UNITED)Even though Phillips reflects that he's his own biggest critic - he isn't fussed about perceptions, stating: "To be honest I'm not really bothered about the narrative anyone has towards me. I just wanted to play football and become happy again whether that was with Man City or West Ham.
"The last 18 months have been long but I learned more in those 18 months than I have in my whole career. I don’t regret signing for City though. It has grown me as a person and as a player."
Moyes' statement signing has the chance to extend his City legacy beyond medals this weekend when West Ham entertain London rivals Arsenal, who they have already beaten on two separate occasions this season.
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