Kalvin Phillips has admitted growing frustrated at the focus on his fitness after Pep Guardiola had labelled him as being ‘overweight’ while at Manchester City.
Phillips joined newly promoted Ipswich Town on a season-long loan move during the summer transfer window, as the England international seeks to reignite his career.
The 28-year-old had an unsuccessful loan spell at West Ham last season, following a difficult 18 months at Man City.
Phillips started just six matches for Man City in two years after a £42million move from Leeds, with only two coming in the Premier League.
He previously admitted Guardiola describing him as ‘overweight’ following his return from the World Cup with England in 2022 had been the ‘toughest moment’ of his career.
Kalvin Phillips expressed frustration at a ‘narrative’ after clubs focused on his weight
Pep Guardiola had labelled Phillips as ‘overweight’ after his return from the 2022 World Cup
Phillips is aiming to rebuild his career at Ipswich following a difficult couple of seasons
Speaking on the BBC podcast ‘My Mate’s A Footballer’ to former Leeds team-mate Patrick Bamford, Phillips claimed the narrative about his fitness grew following Guardiola’s comments.
The midfielder claimed the topic would be the first subject raised by clubs who were interested in signing him.
Phillips, however, praised Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, who vowed to help him get back to his best level.
‘You probably heard about the time when Pep came out and said that I was overweight after the World Cup and stuff. And I think that narrative on social media just kind of grew and grew.
‘Every club that I’d go to, I spoke to, like the manager and the nutritionist and stuff like that, they’d always speak about weight before they’d say anything else.
‘And it got to the point where it peed me off a little bit. I was getting quite frustrated with it, but then now I’ve come to Ipswich like the manager’s an unbelievable person as well as a manager.
‘We spoke about all my past stuff that happened in my career and stuff like that.
‘He kind of just said I’m big on body composition and I just want you to get to where you was when you left Leeds or when you was at Leeds. I think that’ll give us a good starting point for you to push on and hopefully get to back, back to where you was.’
Phillips thrived under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, where the Argentine set him a weight target
The midfielder became a fixture in Gareth Southgate’s England side while playing for Leeds
Guardiola had apologised to Phillips earlier this year for publicly labelling him as overweight, which had led to the midfielder being told to stay away from the club over Christmas in 2022 after failing to meet a weight target.
‘Yeah, I’m sorry,’ Guardiola said in February. ‘[Apologising] once in eight years is not bad. But I’m so sorry. I apologise to him. I do apologise. I’m so sorry.’
Phillips had enjoyed an impressive rise during his time at Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa, with the club earning promotion to the Premier League with the Argentine.
The midfielder earned a place in the England team, earning 31 caps for the Three Lions and was a key figure as Gareth Southgate’s side reached the Euro 2020 final.
Phillips had been set a weight target to meet by Bielsa, stating the Argentine had been ‘obsessed with body composition’, which he has recently hit again at Ipswich.
‘It is only recently since I came to Ipswich I have got the target, around about the target Bielsa set me. Because I have not played much in the last two years, one and a half years.
‘The manager is very big on body composition here as well and I thought ‘I’m not getting off to a bad start here as well, I need to come in and make sure my weight it on point’ and stuff like that.’
Phillips has made four starts under McKenna since joining Ipswich on loan for the season.
Philips revealed he is now back at the target set by Bielsa after joining Ipswich on loan
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said last week that Phillips is ‘improving game by game’
The Ipswich boss had claimed Phillips has shown he can be an important player for the club, as the newly promoted side bid for Premier League survival.
‘I think game by game he’s improving, his confidence was coming on the ball a little bit today. He’s been working really well off the ball,’ McKenna said after Ipswich’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
‘Of course, it was a shame for him to get the little injury that stopped his momentum, but I thought he stepped back into the team well today after only a couple of days’ training.
‘He’s enjoying it, he’s enjoying being part of the group, he’s enjoying the day-to-day work and he’s proving that he can be an important player for us on the pitch.’