Unable to find any time on the pitch these days, Kalvin Phillips might not publicly say he regrets his move away from Leeds United, but deep down, there has to be some questioning about the decision.
After all, the England international was the star of the show at Elland Road, and was lured away by the promise of more money and trophies, which is understandable.
During his time there, the Leeds fans also gave him a nickname, that of the ‘The Yorkshire Pirlo’, which the Italian press, namely Gazzetta dello Sport, on Monday, aren’t overly happy with.
Since Juventus are interested in the player for a January deal, they look at who Phillips is, and recall that he was turned into a deep lying midfielder by Marcelo Bielsa.
This is where he excelled, and the Leeds fans quickly gave him the tongue-in-cheek nickname to show their appreciation for his hard work and ability to create from the back when needed.
For Gazzetta, however, this comparison is seen as ‘close to football blasphemy’.
After all, Andrea Pirlo is almost revered in Italy for all his years of service and the great work he did in the teams he played for.
Not only that, but the two are very different types of players, with the Italian almost playing as a sort of quarterback for his clubs, while Phillips is more of an all action man.
Whether Juventus get him remains to be seen, but one thing appears clear: Gazzetta will not be comparing him to the current Sampdoria manager if he were to move to Italy.
