Leeds United

Kalvin Phillips admits Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa can be "frustrating"

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 04 April 2020

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips admits that manager Marcelo Bielsa can be "frustrating" to play under due to his consistent demands for improvement.

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has admitted that Marcelo Bielsa's consistent demands for excellence can be "frustrating" at times.

Phillips is one of the front-runners to win the Championship Player of the Year award this season, having helped to put Leeds on course for automatic promotion before coronavirus brought football to a halt.

The 24-year-old, who has been converted into a holding midfielder by Bielsa, has been tipped to earn an England call-up as a result of his form, but he revealed that the renowned Argentine boss still demands more from him.

"He's never completely satisfied. He's always saying I can improve. That can be frustrating when you think you've played well, but those are the standards he sets," Phillips told FourFourTwo.

"I was surprised [by the positional change] at first. The season before he arrived, I'd scored seven goals, so I was a bit confused and disappointed when he spoke to me. I could hardly say no, though, could I, especially given his track record of improving players? He saw something in me and offered to teach me how to play a different role.

"I know the bar is incredibly high for international footballers, but I feel I'm on the border of that. Once Leeds have become an established Premier League side again, I'll be competing with the best. Hopefully I can do well enough to convince Gareth Southgate that I deserve a spot in his squad."

Phillips has made 172 appearances for Leeds since making his debut in 2015, including 34 this season.