Kalvin Phillips wants to become ‘UNDROPPABLE’ next season after injury-hit first season at Man City

Kalvin Phillips says he is determined to become ‘undroppable’ next season following a difficult start to his career at Manchester City. 

A shoulder injury caused an early setback to his City career, and after the World Cup, he has found it largely impossible to usurp the holding midfield spot from Rodri, who has been imperious in the position this season. 

Speculation has started to mount over whether he will stay at the club, with Guardiola telling Phillips that he has to show him he deserves to stay at Man City. 

But the defensive midfielder is hoping to bounce back next season and make his name a more regular appearance in the Spaniard’s starting line-up.  

The 27-year-old (left) also claimed that he had found it ‘hard to take in’ all of the information that Pep Guardiola (right) has given to him this season

After an injury-plagued start at Man City, Phillips has struggled to secure regular game time

‘I came here to win trophies and play football,’ he told BBC Radio Manchester. ‘I’ve not done as much as I’d like to this season. 

‘Next pre-season I’ll try and come back as fit as possible and hopefully I can be similar to the likes of Rodri and Gundogan who are very important to the team and undroppable.’ 

Rodri has provided the rhythm to City’s title winning midfield this season, while Gundogan has been, perhaps, the best value signing Guardiola has made during his time at the club, thanks to his leadership, creativity and dexterity to the club’s midfield.

Considering the talents of those two players, it is going to be difficult for anyone to break into the first team. 

Phillips, meanwhile, had been a vital cog in Leeds’ midfield in the seasons before he moved to Man City, scoring 14 goals in 234 appearances for the Yorkshire outfit.

But it seems he has found it hard to get back into his groove at City, with Guardiola claiming Phillips has struggled to adjust to his side’s system since joining from Leeds

Phillips, who has 26 caps for England, admitted that while it’s taken him longer than normal to adapt to his new club’s style of play, he was still learning a lot playing alongside these world-class midfielders. 

He added: ‘I’ve adapted, longer time than normal because of my injuries. To learn off them [Gundogan and Rodri] every single day. Still we’ve got young players who are right up my backside. I’m looking forward to spending a good five more years here.’

City completed the first leg of their bid to win the treble this season last weekend as they clinched their third successive Premier League title and Phillips said he was hungry to win the title again and again, having enjoyed last week’s celebrations. 

Phillips (left) lauded his manager Guardiola (right) while also saying ‘it is hard to read him’ 

He has struggled to break into the City line-up with Rodri’s (left) brilliant form this season

And the midfielder lauded his manager, claiming he was ‘unbelievable’, while suggesting that he had found it hard to ingest all the knowledge the master tactician has imparted to him throughout this season.   

‘It’s hard to read him [Guardiola],’ he said. ‘One day he can give you the day off and the next he can be: ‘No, you’re in until the next game’.

‘He’s unbelievable. If he can do this treble he’ll be a very, very happy man. I just hope it happens for him and his legacy. To put the Champions League under his belt with this club would be amazing.

‘It’s hard to take it all in, there’s that much information. That’s been one of my difficulty. Trying to take in the information he gives me.