Pep Guardiola makes surprise admission over Kalvin Phillips’ Man City future

The England midfielder is set to join West Ham on loan after struggling for gametime at the Etihad

(PA)

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Kalvin Phillips could still have a future at Manchester City and told the midfielder to prove him wrong during his loan spell at West Ham.

The England international is set to join the Hammers for the rest of the season, despite previous interest from Barcelona, with Phillips looking for first-team football after Guardiola gave him just two Premier League starts during his 18 months at the Etihad Stadium.

City have struck a deal that gives West Ham the option to purchase the 28-year-old in the summer but despite giving Phillips just 89 minutes of top-flight football this season, Guardiola claimed he could come back and play a part in his side.

“Yes, why not?” he said. “He has to play to make me realise how wrong I was. For the guys who behave well I don’t care, but these kind of persons who help us in every training session and in the minutes he played, with that I always feel what could I do more, so hopefully he can play regularly. And of course. Why not?”

City paid Leeds £42.5m for Phillips in 2022 and Guardiola said he has to shoulder more of the blame than the midfielder for the way it has not worked out for him.

“In that position we need another thing that sometimes myself struggle a little bit to see him,” added the City manager. “That’s all. The quality is there. That’s why he’s in the national team. Look what he’s done at Leeds, the quality is there.

“I regret more myself than Kalvin. With others no, but with him, and [considering] how he behaved, it’s my responsibility. I have to be here to help the players develop and be better players and suit what we want to do and I was not able to do it.”