Kalvin Phillips claims ‘every club asked about his weight’ after Pep Guardiola labelled him ‘overweight’ – as Man City outcast reveals he is back to his Leeds level at Ipswich
Kalvin Phillips has admitted he became frustrated with the focus on his fitness after Pep Guardiola branded him ‘overweight’ at Manchester City.
Phillips was brought to newly promoted Ipswich Town on loan during the summer transfer window as the England international looks to revive his career.
The 28-year-old had an unsuccessful loan spell at West Ham last season, after 18 difficult months at Man City.
Phillips started just six games for Man City in two years after a £42 million transfer from Leeds, with only two of those coming in the Premier League.
He previously admitted Guardiola described him as ‘overweight’ after his return from the World Cup with England in 2022 was the ‘most difficult moment’ of his career.
Kalvin Phillips expressed his frustration over a ‘story’ after clubs focused on his weight
Pep Guardiola had labeled Phillips ‘overweight’ after his return from the 2022 World Cup
Phillips is aiming to rebuild his career at Ipswich after a difficult few seasons
Speaking on the BBC podcast ‘My buddy is a footballer’ Speaking to former Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford, Phillips claimed the story about his fitness grew after Guardiola’s comments.
The midfielder claimed that this topic would be the first discussed by clubs interested in signing him.
However, Phillips praised Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, who vowed to help him get back to his best.
‘You’ve probably heard about the time Pep came out and said I was overweight after the World Cup and all that. And I think that social media story just grew and grew.
‘Every club I went to, I spoke to, like the manager and the nutritionist and stuff like that, they always talked about weight before they said anything else.
“And it got to the point where it was bothering me a little bit. I got quite frustrated with it but now I’ve come to Ipswich feeling like the manager is not only an incredible person but a manager.
“We talked about all my past things that happened in my career and stuff like that.
“He just said I’m a big believer in body composition and I want you to get back to where you were when you left Leeds or when you were at Leeds. I think this gives us a good starting point to move forward and hopefully get back to where you were.”
Phillips flourished under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, where the Argentine set him a weight target
The midfielder became a regular in Gareth Southgate’s England squad while playing for Leeds
Guardiola had apologized to Phillips earlier this year for publicly labeling him as overweight, which led to the midfielder being forced to stay away from the club over Christmas 2022 after failing to meet a weight target.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” Guardiola said in February. ‘[Apologising] once every eight years isn’t bad. But I’m so sorry. I apologize to him. I apologize. I’m so sorry.’
Phillips had enjoyed an impressive rise during his time at Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa, with the club gaining promotion to the Premier League with the Argentine.
The midfielder earned a place in the England squad, earning 31 caps for the Three Lions and was a key figure as Gareth Southgate’s side reached the final of the 2020 European Championship.
Phillips was given a weight target by Bielsa to meet, stating that the Argentine was ‘obsessed with body composition’, which he recently achieved again at Ipswich.
“Only since I came to Ipswich have I achieved the goal, pretty much the goal Bielsa set for me. Because I haven’t played much in the last two or a year and a half.
‘The manager is also very important here for body composition and I thought, ‘I’m not off to a bad start here either, I’ve got to come in and make sure my weight is right’ and things like that.’
Phillips has made four starts under McKenna since joining Ipswich on loan this season.
Philips revealed he is now back in Bielsa’s target after joining Ipswich on loan
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said last week that Phillips is ‘improving game by game’
The Ipswich boss claimed Phillips has shown he can be an important player for the club as the newly promoted side look to survive in the Premier League.
“I think he’s improving game by game, his confidence came a little bit on the ball today. He’s done really well without the ball,” McKenna said after Ipswich’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
‘Of course it was a shame for him to get the little injury that stopped his momentum, but I thought he stepped back into the team well today after just a few days of training.
“He enjoys it, he enjoys being part of the group, he enjoys the day-to-day work and he proves that he can be an important player for us on the pitch.”