This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Kalvin Phillips is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Championship.
Darren Bent has said it, Adrian Durham has said it, and many others will have thought it.
On a weekly basis, we all marvel at his abilities just in front of the backline as his tenacity and energy sees him doing unbelievable work in his role as a defensive midfielder.
However, Leeds fans have been getting one thing wrong about Phillips for years.
Indeed, the 23-year-old’s incredible performances have earnt him the nickname of ‘the Yorkshire Pirlo’.
There’s a chant about it and there’s even a poster dedicated to that particular comparison on the club’s store.
It’s unknown who coined that phrase or how it came about, but despite its tongue in cheek nature, it’s a little bit off the mark.
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This isn’t to say that Phillips isn’t an incredible midfielder, because he is, and nobody can doubt that, but he’s not really Pirlo-esque is he?
When you think of the former AC Milan man you think of a silky playmaker pinging balls 30 or 40 yards and having them land exactly where he wants them, you think of a man that never had to sprint in a game due to how good his positioning and skill was.
We’ve taken a look at Phillips’ WhoScored stats since the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa and compared them to Pirlo’s numbers from the past ten years.
As you can see, Phillips is much more of a tough tackler than he is a silky passer, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
He does the dirty work at the back, and that’s why his clearances and tackling numbers are so high, whereas Pirlo was never really that type of player.
We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?
Calling the 23-year-old ‘the Yorkshire Pirlo’ is actually underselling him a little bit as it pretty much neglects the most vital part of his game, his tackling.
The funny thing is that a more apt nickname for Philips would be taken from Pirlo’s longtime friend and teammate.
Gennaro Gattuso was a tough-tackling, physical and energetic midfielder who would stop at nothing to win the ball back, winning 2.7 tackles per game in his final season at Milan – does that remind you of anyone?
For interceptions, the pair are tied on 1.5 during Phillips’ current campaign and Gattuso’s last, while they’re also dribbled past on a similar level.
Of course ‘the Yorkshire Gattuso’ doesn’t quite have the same level of glamour attached to it, but it’s a much more fitting description.