Liverpool defender Nat Phillips has had a number of highs during his time at Anfield but few can argue his audacious skill that sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro.
The iconic Sweden forward has called time on his professional career but for many Reds, their fondest memory of the former AC Milan, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain forward came in December 2021 during the Champions League group stages.
Before the hour mark of a 2-1 win in Milan, Rade Krunic played a one-two with the Swede before his touch evaded him handing Liverpool possession. Phillips picked up the loose ball and had to untangle his feet to gain control before unleashing a turn that sent shockwaves around the world.
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The defender's Cruyff turn in the Liverpool box left Ibrahimovic and his teammate Frank Kessie in his wake as they overcame Stefano Pioli's side to end the group stages as the first ever English team to win all six fixtures before they went all the way to the Champions League final in Paris later that season.
"To be honest I wasn’t aware at all. I think it looks a lot better on video than it felt at the time," he exclusively told the ECHO in May 2022. "Only after the game when I’m getting sent the video hundreds of times from friends and family have I realised how nice it went.
"It wasn’t like, before the move, I thought I’m going to do something special here. It was just instinct. I’ve gone to smash it out of play because it was a bit of a sticky situation and I had to deal with the danger, but as I pulled my leg back, he’s sold himself for the block a bit too early.
"Just through instinct, from playing the game so long and all our training, I didn’t have to think. My body just did it for me and I rolled the ball on the turn. If I did hit it, he might have blocked it and I knew he wasn’t going to change direction because he was already in the air.
"At the time I didn’t see Kessie go past me as well, it was only after when I saw the video. The Ibou’s (Ibrahima Konate) reaction cracked me, you should have heard the noise he made! I knew it must have been good after that reaction, because I could hear him screaming!"
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