Ian Wright believes Kalvin Phillips could hit new heights at Manchester City after he finalised his move to Pep Guardiola's side earlier this week. The England international signed a six-year deal with the Citizens ending his association with Leeds United.
Wright believes Guardiola's tendency to rotate his City side will work in Phillips' favour after 'strain' of carrying the Whites in recent years. The former Arsenal striker is hopeful that the move works out for the 26-year-old.
Speaking on Wrighty's House, Ringer FC podcast, he said: "We've got to talk about my guy Kalvin Phillips but we won't go into it too much. Can I just say with Kalvin Phillips and players that you just love and like - I remember going up to Leeds to do an interview with him and it was so sweet.
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"We took loads of photos and I go through them and I can't delete them. It's so funny because I bumped into his mum the other day and they were getting ready to sign for City and it was getting done, they sent me a message and I'm so pleased for him.
"When you hear the way he's come through Leeds and how he's come so close to not quite getting there because there were other players there who were really good around him in the same position, but Bielsa changed him from the number 10 into a holding midfielder. He was in and out of teams, he was taken off at half-time sometimes but he's still come through to become one of the best players in the Championship.
"He then came to the Premier League; then he's got himself into the England squad, now he's got his move and I just pray that it works for him. I just want him to do well."
The Whites will bank a reported initial fee of £42 million which could potentially rise to £45 million in add-ons, with a number of Leeds fans unhappy they didn't get more money for their talismanic midfielder. Wright said: "The main thing is with Leeds fans, they've realised they have to let him go and there's going to be something in them that wants as much as they can can get. Even if they got another £10million they'd think they could get more because he's so good, they've seen him for so long and they love him so much.
"The main this is they're happy he's going and they're delighted he's not gone to [Manchester] United. I'm pleased he's going to a club where they need that guy, they need him to be playing like he is. If you meet Kalvin, you see he's so calm, he's so level headed and calm, he's got so much ability that you feel he's going to go into that place and it's not going to take him that long until he's the governor in there.
"I think the injuries may be why they didn't get the money they wanted for him. I think technically what he's going to learn for Pep [Guardiola], I'm really excited to see that for him because he was constantly fighting fires and putting them out with Leeds.
"The strain on him was a lot but I think with City and the way tactically and positionally what he's going to learn about that position, everyone will benefit."
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