Kalvin Phillips: Manchester City midfielder signs on loan with Sheffield United for the rest of the season

Phillips’s trajectory has stalled since joining City from Leeds for £45m in 2022 and he is looking to reignite his career once again.

He has played just seven minutes of football this season, back in September in the Carabao Cup at Huddersfield, and this will be his third loan move after spells at West Ham and Ipswich.

Phillips, aged just 30, was a key part of the England squad that reached the final of the 2020 European Championship, where they lost on penalties to Italy.

He was named England Player of the Year for 2021, but made his last international appearance three years ago.

Phillips has been training with other City players, but has clearly been surplus to requirements for a long time now, and still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract.

In February 2024, City manager Guardiola apologized for saying Phillips was “overweight” upon his return from the World Cup in Qatar, with the player later saying the comments were a “huge blow to my self-confidence”.

The writing was on the wall and Phillips has yet to catch a glimpse of City this season, despite injuries to midfielders Rodri and Nico Gonzalez.

He hopes his move to the Blades – 17th in the Championship table – will help get his career back on track.