Kalvin Phillips' Inclusion in the England Squad is Completely Justified

Gareth Southgate's England squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League clashes with Iceland and Denmark certainly provided a few areas for discussion.

But while Jack Grealish's omission, Harry Maguire's inclusion and potential debuts for Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden will all garner their fair share of attention, let's focus on Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips - another player who could make their England bow next month.

Phillips joins Foden, Mason Mount, James Ward-Prowse, Declan Rice and Harry Winks as Southgate's selected midfielders, with the absence of a distinct left-back in the squad raising possibilities over a potential alteration in system from the England boss.

And despite the 24-year-old only excelling in the second-tier of English football before their promotion last term, the Leeds man's fully deserving of what he described as a surprisingly early inclusion in the Three Lions squad.

Phillips has been a personal project of Marcelo Bielsa's ever since he stepped foot on west Yorkshire soil in 2018, with his conversion from an attack-minded box-to-box number eight into the linchpin of a title-winning side at the base of midfield entirely the work of El Cholo.

His evolution has been simply remarkable in a role foreign to him as recently as May 2018. From Bielsa's appointment on, perhaps no player in the Championship was superior to Phillips. The ease at which the 24-year-old executes such a demanding function is admirable because this is no typical defensive midfield role. God, no.

In the Argentine's relentless high-pressing system, Phillips is absolutely pivotal in protecting his side in transition. As he notes in an interview with The Athletic's Phil Hay, the first thing he says to himself when Leeds lose the ball high up the field is "‘where’s my man?" before deciding whether the opponent is in close enough proximity to go and man-mark or whether he should merely cut out the passing lane to his marker.

After initial teething problems, Phillips has gone on to excel in this phase of the game, and despite often taking up more advanced positions on the field last season compared to Bielsa's debut campaign, the 24-year-old's supreme fitness levels and recovery running ensure opponents struggle to hurt Leeds on the break.

It's his ability to cover for advancing full-backs combined with a fierce but controlled - most of the time - aggression and knack of timing tackles to perfection which has seen Phillips emerge as arguably the Championship's leading performer over the past two seasons.

"He's very good at getting the ball and putting it into another space, a better space," Bielsa once said of Phillips, who, due to his previous ventures as an outgoing box-to-box, is more than adept with the ball at his feet in deeper zones of the pitch.

Simply put, he's the linchpin of Bielsa's side. While veteran Pablo Hernandez is the one to provide the magic in the final third, Phillips is the man who provides stability when Leeds attempt to progress upfield through astute positioning, creating smart angles and efficient ball circulation. His impressive passing range has also proved to be a useful weapon for finding the likes of a surging Luke Ayling and Tyler Roberts in behind the opposition's backline.

Overall, Phillips' importance to a mightily entertaining, enterprising and, ultimately, effective Leeds side can't be understated. And although he's yet to kick a ball in the top flight, most would have the 24-year-old as England's second best defensive midfielder if you were to do a hypothetical power ranking of the position.

The lack of a 'destroyer' profile - which Phillips somewhat provides - has certainly been an issue for the Three Lions under Southgate's tutelage.

Their infamous World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia saw Jordan Henderson - utilised as the 'one' in a 3-1-4-2 - overwhelmed by the technical proficiency of his Croatian counterparts. Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric - ably supported by Marcelo Brozovic - dominated the contest following Kieran Tripper's stunning opener as Henderson resorted to a one-player game of 'How Far Can I Boot It This Time?'.

However, there's certainly hope for West Ham's Declan Rice to fill a gaping void at the base of Southgate's midfield in what's typically been a 4-3-3 post-Russia.

Rice's introduction to international football was tough, mind. He struggled in England's Nations League semi-final defeat to Holland last summer as well as Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Kosovo. For many, he was too conservative in possession and ultimately failed to protect, let's face it, a vulnerable defence. A perfectly fair assessment based on these encounters.

But the man three years Phillips' junior has continued to shine for the Hammers, persistently showing off his impressive defensive instincts while appearing a little more confident and determined with the ball at his feet. Rice was a leading figure in West Ham's eventual survival, and last season's form would suggest he remains Southgate's number one defensive midfield option.

In Phillips, though, Rice now has bona fide competition for his spot. There shouldn't be anymore shoehorning Henderson or Winks at the base because they 'can' play there, Southgate should have two competent options at a previously weak position for the national team.

His start to life in the Premier League will be a major indicator of just how good he is, but his skill set and transformation under his genius coach suggests Kalvin Phillips won't have any issues adjusting to superior levels of competition and the international stage.