Before this season, Nat Phillips only had a Liverpool look for his name, and it seemed like it would be his lot.
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There was no real attempt to keep him at Anfield in the middle of Germany. With a year left on his business and four center-backs in front of him in chin order, it was difficult to imagine any kind of Liverpool future for a player whose chance had come and gone.
He looked impossible – but now you wonder where they would be without him.
Nat Phillips vs Aston Villa
• 86% passes • 62/72 passes (1st in the match) • 3 created chances (1st) • 85 touch (2nd) • 10/13 flight duels (1st) • 2/3 tackles • 7 clearances (2: a)
Colossal performance. Are you getting better every week? pic.twitter.com/ITfrNmACII
– LFC Stats (@LFCData) April 10, 2021
Fast-forward six months and while Phillips’ long-term future is still up in the air, he is one of the first names on Jurgen Klopp’s team magazine. His cause has been aided by a freakish injury, but he has earned his place on merit with a number of dominant performances that seem to improve with each passing week.
He may be the opposite of the modern central defender, but he embodies the hard will to win that Liverpool have rediscovered in their charge against Champions League football.
Red’s win over Aston Villa made it three wins in the tournament for the first time since September, and while Trent Alexander-Arnold made the headlines, Phillips was once again their top performer.
The great defender threw himself into everything and won ten flying duels – the rest of his team won nine between them. He won the battle with Ollie Watkins and his understanding with Ozan Kabak was at the center of an initial Anfield victory in almost four months.
Nat Phillips won 10 (TEN) antennas against Aston Villa, more than the rest of Liverpool started XI succeeded together (9).
Most of a Liverpool player in a single PL game this season. ? pic.twitter.com/Q822KfAHc0
– Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 10, 2021
And he was much better at the things he is normally criticized for. He pulled out three key passes, as many as Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, and continues to prove himself as an adaptable footman for Jurgen Klopp.
He has been a big part of the late season’s resurgence that has kept Liverpool alive and kicking in the hunt for Champions League football, and at the moment he will look no further than the task ahead of him.
Still, everything is a bit bitter, as Phillips’ latest emergence is unlikely to save his Liverpool career.
There will be a defensive shake-up at Anfield this summer. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez return to take cornerstone roles. Kabak’s arrival will be made permanent, while there is talk of a new arrival, with RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate still strongly connected.
All of this spells bad news for Phillips, who does not seem to have a long-term role in a replenished defense.
He has been a revelation, but in reality he is closing a gap. With his contract expiring, it may be best for everyone if he moves on and keeps pace with construction elsewhere.
In the last four months, however, Phillips has gone from an experienced defender at championship level to one who can mix it with the best in top flight.
The fighting attributes that have helped Liverpool return to the top four have a lot to offer, and he will leave Anfield with a resume that looks immeasurably more impressive than a year ago.
He may not be on top with Liverpool, but Phillips deserves a huge credit for how he has defied expectations to help the club through the darkest hour of the Klopp era.
