Former Leeds United academy head of education and welfare Lucy Ward believes that a move to Champions League-chasing Manchester City will be a 'natural step up' for Kalvin Phillips.
The homegrown Whites midfielder is set to seal at £42million move across the Pennies to the Premier League champions and Ward, who assisted in the Leeds-born star's development at Thorp Arch, is confident he will succeed when he moves to pastures new.
“Leeds struggled to stay up and we don’t know if they’ll struggle again and how they’ll recruit, but I think it’s a natural step up for him,” Ward told talkSPORT.
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“Bielsa went and it was Bielsa who got him to where he wanted to be. He’d also be injured a little bit. For England he’d want to be playing at the highest level he can be.
“It’ll be sad for him. You could see at the end of the season that he was sad to leave because at Elland Road he said goodbye to everyone and had his family there, so you knew he wasn’t going to come back next season.
“It’s a big step up for him but he’s confident in his ability to be able to do it.”
While the majority of Leeds fans appear resigned to losing Phillips and will wish him well upon his Leeds exit, the mooted £42million fee has divided opinion. West Ham have valued Phillips’ England teammate Declan Rice at £150 million and Ward insists that the difference between both players isn’t as vast as the figures suggest.
“One club, West Ham is talking £150 million, and he’s [Phillips] just gone for £42m,” Ward added.
“I do think there is a bit more in Declan Rice. I think he’s a player who can play in more than one position and is a bit quicker than Kalvin Phillips, but there is not a great deal between them.
“Do I think there is over £100 million of difference between them? No I don’t.”
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