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Kalvin Phillips recently disclosed that his temporary transfer to West Ham marks the end of manager David Moyes’ nearly two-year pursuit.
The Hammers have acquired the England midfielder for the rest of the season due to his lack of playing time at Manchester City. Despite his £42m transfer from Leeds to Etihad Stadium in 2022, the 28-year-old has only started two Premier League matches under Pep Guardiola.
On Friday, Phillips officially completed his move to West Ham. The team had previously expressed interest in him when he departed from Leeds.
“I am extremely pleased,” Phillips shared on the Iron Cast podcast. “While I was at City’s warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi, all I could think about was finding a loan opportunity. I spoke with ‘Moyesy’ over the phone and he assured me that coming here on loan was the best decision for me. He also promised that I would enjoy every moment of it, and so far that has been true. I am very content with my decision to come here and I am excited to get started.”
Honestly, I believe that if City had not approached me 18 months ago, I would have chosen West Ham as my club. It was always a possibility. Moyesy has been pursuing me for two years and he told me over the phone. Therefore, it was inevitable that I would eventually join West Ham.
Although Phillips was a member of City’s team that achieved a treble last season, the season was personally frustrating for him.
At first, an injury limited his chances, but Guardiola struggled to find a defined position for him in his team and he rarely played. As the situation did not improve this season, Phillips chose to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Originally, it was believed that the loan would come with a stipulation for West Ham to potentially purchase the player during the upcoming summer. However, it has been clarified that this is not included in the final agreement.
Phillips’ future after this summer will be decided at a later time. For now, he has the opportunity to improve his performance and physical condition, potentially increasing his chances of staying on the England team for Euro 2024. He may also have a role in an exhilarating end to the season with West Ham, currently in sixth place in the Premier League and advancing to the knockout stage of the Europa League.
He may make his debut when the club hosts Bournemouth in the league next Thursday.
According to Phillips, he has reviewed the upcoming games against Bournemouth and Manchester United in Manchester. He is eager and prepared to participate. He expressed his enthusiasm for joining the team and acknowledged that it has been a hectic few days. However, he is now present and committed to giving his all for the team.
Moyes is confident that Phillips will make a valuable contribution at the London Stadium.
The Scottish individual stated, “We have held a great deal of admiration for him for an extended period and we are confident that he will bring strength and competition to our team.”
“Kalvin is a midfielder who has played for the England national team and has experience in the Premier League. We are thrilled to have him join our team and are eager to collaborate with him.”
Source: independent.co.uk
