Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson believes Nat Phillips deserves to be playing regular football rather than finding himself stuck on the Reds' peripheries. As first reported by the Athletic on Tuesday, Phillips is one of the players on Leeds United’s radar as they look to build their squad for the new Championship season.
Nick Hammond has enquired about the player and he is seen as an option for the Whites, during what promises to be a busy couple of months in the transfer window. Phillips is a centre-back, a position Leeds need to strengthen in given the expected departures of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente, but he has found himself stuck behind more established names in Merseyside after being kept around by Jurgen Klopp to provide the Reds with defensive cover.
As a result, the 26-year-old has made just 70 career appearances. He did make 17 outings for the Reds during their 2020-21 Premier League campaign, helping the club to qualify for Europe, but last season yielded just two league run outs, with three more coming in the Cup competitions.
He has spent time away from Anfield in the past at Stuttgart and a more recent notable loan at Bournemouth, where he helped to the club to promotion back to the Premier League. He made 17 appearances in four months with the Cherries and it was during his time on the south coast when Henderson sung his praises and underlined his quality.
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“He’s a brilliant professional,” the England international told the Liverpool matchday programme, as per the Bournemouth Echo. “It’s clear from the cult status he has with our supporters that people see Nat as a great guy… and when you get a chance to know him personally you realise he’s even better!
“It’s impossible to understate the contribution he made last season (2020-21) in helping us secure Champions League football during the most challenging of circumstances for the club. He deserves to be playing regularly.”
He added: “No question he belongs at this [Premier League] level by the way.”
