‘There was never any chance of me going there’ – Kalvin Phillips makes Man United admission

Kalvin Phillips has come out and said there was “never” any chance of him joining Manchester United this summer because of his loyalty to boyhood club Leeds.

The 26-year-old joined the Citizens earlier this summer from Leeds in a £42 million deal, after months of speculation surrounding his future.

He has confirmed that the Red Devils had shown interest but he couldn’t consider signing for them due to his strong connection with the Whites.

Speaking about whether he could have joined United this summer amid their interest in him, Phillips was quoted by The Daily Mirror as saying: “Going to United? No, there was never any chance of me going there. You know my loyalty to Leeds. My family as well – they’re all Leeds fans. I was honoured that United wanted me, such a big team and one of the biggest teams in the world.

“But no, I had to stay loyal to Leeds and choose to go to the other side of Manchester. It’s just the way I am, the way I think and the way I’ll always be.

“I want to be loyal to the people who’ve given me the biggest opportunity in the world. Leeds were the first team to sign me, I made sure that was one of the main things I’d do.”

Kalvin Phillips was 14 when he first joined the Leeds United academy. He progressed through the youth ranks and made his competitive debut in April 2015.

His stocks tremendously increased over the following years as he became a key member of the team.

The 26-year-old played an instrumental role in helping the Whites to secure Premier League promotion, making 37 Championship appearances in the 2019-20 season.

The England international remained out of the squad for over three months due to a hamstring injury last season but he was still outstanding in the 20 Premier League matches that he played.

Phillips has signed a six-year contract with City, meaning the 26-year-old looks set to spent the peak years of his career at The Etihad.