Manchester City midfielder, Kalvin Phillips, has revealed the impact of Pep Guardiola's claims that he was overweight. Despite joining City from Leeds last summer, Phillips struggled to secure regular playing time under Guardiola. He featured in just 12 Premier League matches during the 2022-23 season, starting only two of them, as Guardiola cited difficulties in adapting to City's style of play.
In December, Guardiola stated that Phillips was overweight upon returning from World Cup duty with England, which led to his exclusion from the team. Phillips, however, maintains that he was not excessively heavy and that the situation was a mere misunderstanding. Within a week of his initial comments, Guardiola jokingly praised Phillips' physique, describing it as "perfect" and "sexy."
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Phillips admitted, "To be honest, [the criticism] was a little hard to take, just because of how much it was exaggerated and how many people started talking about it. I respected the manager's comments, but I personally didn't consider myself overweight. However, the manager saw it differently. I accepted it, worked hard to improve my fitness, and subsequently made it to the bench for the Leeds game after that incident."
Phillips emphasized that he has been fit for every game since then and described the weight issue as a misunderstanding between him and some staff members. He hinted at further details about the situation in an upcoming documentary, shedding light on his journey.
As for Phillips' future, the midfielder expressed his desire to discuss it with Guardiola, despite stating his intention to remain at Manchester City. Rumors have linked Liverpool with a potential summer bid for his services, adding further intrigue to his situation.
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