Nat Phillips Explained

Nat Phillips
Full Name:Nathaniel Harry Phillips
Birth Date:21 March 1997
Birth Place:Bolton, England
Height:1.9m (06.2feet)[1]
Position:Centre-back[2]
Currentclub:Liverpool
Clubnumber:47
Youthyears1:200?–2016
Youthclubs1:Bolton Wanderers
Youthyears2:2016–2019
Youthclubs2:Liverpool
Years1:2019–
Clubs1:Liverpool
Caps1:19
Goals1:1
Years2:2019–2020
Clubs2:VfB Stuttgart (loan)
Caps2:9
Goals2:0
Years3:2020
Clubs3:VfB Stuttgart (loan)
Caps3:10
Goals3:0
Years4:2022
Clubs4:AFC Bournemouth (loan)
Caps4:17
Goals4:0
Years5:2023–2024
Clubs5:Celtic (loan)
Caps5:6
Goals5:0
Years6:2024
Clubs6:Cardiff City (loan)
Caps6:18
Goals6:1
Club-Update:4 May 2024 (UTC)

Nathaniel Harry Phillips (born 21 March 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Liverpool.

Early life

Nathaniel Harry Phillips[3]  was born on 21 March 1997[4] in Bolton, Greater Manchester.[5]

Career

Early career

In 2016, Phillips left Bolton Wanderers' academy and trained at Huddersfield Town after he secured a scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.[6] Two days before his planned flight to the United States, he joined Liverpool's academy instead.[7] [8]

Liverpool

In the summer of 2018, Phillips started to train with Liverpool's first team and became a member of Jürgen Klopp's squad while still playing for the reserve team.[9]

VfB Stuttgart loan and Liverpool recall

In 2019, Phillips moved to German second-division club VfB Stuttgart on loan for the season.[10] [11] He made his professional debut for Stuttgart in the first round of the 2019–20 DFB-Pokal, coming on as a half-time substitute for Holger Badstuber in the away match against 3. Liga club Hansa Rostock.[12] Phillips made his first appearance in the 2019–20 2. Bundesliga on 17 August 2019 against FC St. Pauli.[13] On 27 December 2019, Liverpool announced that Phillips would be recalled from his loan on 1 January 2020 due to a defender injury crisis at his parent club.[14] Twelve days later, after making his first team debut for Liverpool on 5 January 2020 in an FA Cup third round match against Everton, he was loaned back to VfB Stuttgart for the remainder of the 2019–20 season.[15] [16]

Return to Liverpool

On 31 October 2020, Phillips made his league debut for Liverpool, starting in a 2–1 win over West Ham United.[17] [18] On 10 March 2021, Phillips made his Champions League debut, putting in a man of the match performance in a 2–0 win over RB Leipzig, and helping Liverpool advance to the quarter finals 4–0 on aggregate.[19]

Phillips scored his first goal for the club on 19 May 2021, scoring a headed goal and Liverpool's second of the game during a 3–0 away win over Burnley in the Premier League and claimed another man of the match award.[20] The following season, Phillips played in Liverpool's 2–1 win against AC Milan at the San Siro to complete the Champions League group stage with six wins.[21] Days later it was revealed Phillips suffered a fractured cheekbone during the game.[22] With game-time limited in the 2021-22 season, Phillips admitted to being ready to leave the club in the January transfer window.[23]

AFC Bournemouth (loan)

On 31 January 2022, Phillips joined AFC Bournemouth on loan until the end of the season.[24] Regarding the move, Klopp commented that "he would have loved to have kept him [at Liverpool]" and that Phillips was "incredibly reliable [and a] great figure here at the training ground."[25] He made his debut for the club in the FA Cup on 6 February in a 0–1 loss to non-league side Boreham Wood.[26] Phillips made his league debut for the club, and his first appearance in the Championship, in a 3–1 victory against Birmingham City on 9 February.[27]

Celtic (loan)

On 31 August 2023, Phillips joined Celtic on loan until January 2024.[28] He made his league debut for the club in a 3–0 win against Dundee on 16 September.[29] On 4 October, Phillips made his Champions League debut for Celtic in a 1–2 loss against Lazio on 4 October.[30] After repeatedly underperforming and struggling to break into the first team at Celtic, he was recalled back to Liverpool in January.[31]

Cardiff City (loan)

On 30 January 2024, Phillips joined EFL Championship club Cardiff City, on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.[32] He made his league debut for the club on 3 February in a 1–0 win against Watford.

Personal life

Nathaniel is the son of former footballer Jimmy Phillips and played under his management in the Bolton Wanderers academy.[33]

Since early 2022, Phillips has been dating Molly Moorish, the daughter of Lisa Moorish and Liam Gallagher.[34]

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool2019–20001000000010
2020–21Premier League17100003000201
2021–22Premier League0000102030
2022–23Premier League201020000050
Total19120305000291
VfB Stuttgart (loan)2019–202. Bundesliga19030220
Liverpool U212021–221010
AFC Bournemouth (loan)2021–22Championship1701000180
Celtic (loan)2023–24Scottish Premiership602080
Cardiff City (loan)2023–24Championship181181
Career total79260307010962

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nathaniel Phillips: Overview . Premier League . 31 January 2022.
  2. Web site: Nathaniel Phillips: Profile . worldfootball.net . HEIM:SPIEL . 31 January 2022.
  3. Web site: Updated squad lists for 2022/23 Premier League . Premier League . 4 February 2023 . 11 February 2023.
  4. Web site: Nathaniel Phillips: Overview . ESPN . 21 April 2023.
  5. Web site: Nathaniel Phillips . Liverpool F.C. . 31 January 2022.
  6. Web site: Phillips turns down U.S. college scholarship for shot with Liverpool. ESPN. 12 March 2017. 12 August 2019.
  7. Web site: How Liverpool youngster came back from the brink to seal dream move to Reds. Liverpool Echo. 12 March 2017. 12 August 2019.
  8. News: Bolton Wanderers Youngster Nat Phillips Joins Liverpool . The Lion Of Vienna Suite . 10 August 2016 . 18 November 2016.
  9. Web site: Liverpool's 'hidden' pre-season star. Daily Mirror. 4 August 2018. 12 August 2019.
  10. News: Nathaniel Phillips signs new Liverpool contract and joins Stuttgart on loan. Liverpool FC. 7 August 2019.
  11. Web site: VfB sign Liverpool defender Phillips. vfb.de. VfB Stuttgart. 7 August 2019. 7 August 2019.
  12. Web site: Hansa Rostock – VfB Stuttgart 0:1 (DFB-Pokal 2019/2020, 1. Round) . worldfootball.net . HEIM:SPIEL . 12 August 2019 . 12 August 2019.
  13. Web site: VfB Stuttgart – FC St. Pauli 2:1 . dfb.de . German Football Association . 17 August 2019 . 17 August 2019.
  14. Web site: Nat Phillips returns from Stuttgart loan. Liverpool FC. 27 December 2019.
  15. Web site: 13 January 2020. Nathaniel Phillips returns to Stuttgart on loan. Liverpool FC.
  16. News: Reds were 'sensationally good' - Klopp. BBC Sport .
  17. News: Liverpool go top after Jota winner. en-GB. BBC Sport. 31 October 2020.
  18. News: Who is Phillips, Liverpool's man thrown in the deep end?. BBC Sport .
  19. Web site: Liverpool cruise into quarters as Sadio Mané and Salah cut down Leipzig again. 10 March 2021. Guardian. 11 March 2021.
  20. News: Liverpool into top four after Burnley win. en-GB. BBC Sport. 2021-05-19.
  21. News: Liverpool beat Milan for perfect group stage record . 10 December 2021 . BBC.
  22. News: Nat Phillips set for spell out with cheekbone fracture . 10 December 2021 . Liverpool F.C..
  23. News: Nat Phillips reveals he wants to leave Liverpool in January due to a lack of game time . 10 March 2022 . Sky Sports.
  24. Web site: AFC BOURNEMOUTH COMPLETE SIGNING OF NAT PHILLIPS . AFC Bournemouth . 31 January 2022.
  25. Web site: Jurgen Klopp: I would've loved to have kept Nat Phillips. Daily Echo . 10 March 2022.
  26. News: AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Boreham Wood. en-GB. BBC Sport. 10 March 2022.
  27. News: AFC Bournemouth 3-1 Birmingham City. en-GB. BBC Sport. 10 March 2022.
  28. Web site: Nat Phillips joins Celtic on a loan that would be evaluated in January 2024. . Liverpool FC . 31 August 2023 . 31 August 2023.
  29. News: Leaders Celtic ease to victory over stubborn Dundee . en-GB . BBC Sport . 2023-12-07.
  30. News: 2023-10-04 . Champions League: Heartbreak for Celtic as Pedro strikes at death . en-GB . BBC Sport . 2023-12-07.
  31. News: 2023-12-31. Liverpool to recall Phillips from Celtic loan . en-GB . tribal football . 2023-12-31.
  32. News: Cardiff sign Liverpool defender Phillips on loan . 2024-03-10 . BBC Sport . en-GB.
  33. Web site: Decade XI: Remembering those we never saw. 17 December 2019.
  34. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/nat-phillips-opens-up-life-27715108.amp