Nathaniel Phillips almost joined Swansea City during the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic‘s James Pearce.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a Premier League debut to treasure on Saturday night, as Liverpool beat West Ham 2-1 at Anfield.
In a pressurised situation, Phillips produced an excellent performance, proving to be dominant in the air and taking home This Is Anfield‘s Man of the Match award.
It has now been revealed by Pearce that Phillips was on the verge of moving to Swansea, as the Championship club searched for a late replacement for Joe Rodon, who joined Tottenham.
The move never materialised, however, and the centre-back stayed put, excelling against the Hammers.
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I don’t see a long-term future at Liverpool for Phillips, in truth – at 23, he would have played far more by now if he was in Jurgen Klopp’s plans – but he showed how invaluable he can be over the weekend.
His place in the starting lineup came as a shock, with Rhys Williams seen as the more likely starter, but he did his job superbly and a vital stoppage time headed clearance was the icing on the cake.
With Virgil van Dijk possibly out for the season, and Fabinho and Joel Matip also still injured, Liverpool are going to have to rely heavily on others to stand tall throughout the campaign.
Phillips did exactly that on Saturday and he deserves enormous praise for his efforts.
