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Kalvin Phillips revealed David Moyes has been chasing him for two years after West Ham finally secured their long-term target on loan from Manchester City.
Moyes bid £50million for Phillips in the January 2022 window – an offer which was turned down by Leeds. The 28-year-old box-to-box midfielder said that if City had not swooped in the following summer, he would have joined West Ham.
Phillips spoke to Moyes on the phone from City’s warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of signing and the England international said: ‘Moyesy, he’s been after me for two years. Eventually, it was going to happen.
‘Honestly, if City hadn’t come in for me 18 months ago, then West Ham would have been the club. (Lucas) Paqueta. (Mohammed) Kudus. I’ve watched how well they’ve done this year. I knew there was a possibility I could be going to West Ham on loan.’
Phillips is set to make his debut against Bournemouth in the Premier League this Thursday with the loan signing likely to oust Tomas Soucek in the line-up.
Kalvin Phillips has detailed his excitement after joining West Ham on a season-long loan
The 28-year-old will spend the remainder of the season with the Hammers, after struggling for game time at Man City
The England midfielder added David Moyes had attempted to sign him during his time at Leeds
Once Moyes has a fully fit squad to choose from, he is expected to field a 4-2-3-1. That will see Phillips and Edson Alvarez in deep midfield, followed by Kudus, James Ward-Prowse and Paqueta behind Jarrod Bowen up front.
‘I’ve looked at the fixtures,’ said Phillips on the club’s in-house podcast channel. ‘I’m ready and raring to go. I’m very excited to be here. It’s been a whirlwind few days but I’m here, I’m ready to play, and I’ll give everything for the team.’
He is also eligible to feature in the Europa League, the final of which will be in Dublin with Phillips having Irish heritage. Asked if it is written in the stars for him to help the club reach that showpiece, he said: ‘Maybe. Could be. Hopefully.’
West Ham will cover Phillips’s wages in full. It is only a straight loan with no obligation to buy, though the club plan to revisit talks over making it permanent in the summer.
