Nathaniel Harry Phillips (born 21 March 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL Championship club Cardiff City on loan from Liverpool.

Nat Phillips
Phillips with VfB Stuttgart in 2019
Personal information
Full name Nathaniel Harry Phillips
Date of birth (1997-03-21) 21 March 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth Bolton, United Kingdom
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back[2]
Team information
Current team
Cardiff City (on loan from Liverpool)
Number 12
Youth career
200?–2016 Bolton Wanderers
2016–2019 Liverpool
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– Liverpool 19 (1)
2019–2020VfB Stuttgart (loan) 19 (0)
2022AFC Bournemouth (loan) 17 (0)
2023–2024Celtic (loan) 6 (0)
2024–Cardiff City (loan) 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 March 2024 (UTC)

Early life edit

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

Career edit

Early career edit

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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) edit

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) edit

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]

Cardiff City (loan) edit

On 30 January 2024, Phillips joined EFL Championship club Cardiff City, on loan for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.[31] He made his league debut for the club on 3 February in a 1–0 win against Watford.

Personal life edit

Nathaniel is the son of former footballer Jimmy Phillips and played under his management in the Bolton Wanderers academy.[32]

Since early 2022, Phillips has been dating Molly Moorish, the daughter of Lisa Moorish and Liam Gallagher.[33]

Career statistics edit

As of match played 9 March 2024[34]
Club Season League National cup League cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Liverpool 2019–20 Premier League 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2020–21 Premier League 17 1 0 0 0 0 3[a] 0 0 0 20 1
2021–22 Premier League 0 0 0 0 1 0 2[a] 0 3 0
2022–23 Premier League 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Total 19 1 2 0 3 0 5 0 0 0 29 1
VfB Stuttgart (loan) 2019–20 2. Bundesliga 19 0 3 0 22 0
Liverpool U21 2021–22 1[b] 0 1 0
AFC Bournemouth (loan) 2021–22 Championship 17 0 1 0 0 0 18 0
Celtic (loan) 2023–24 Scottish Premiership 6 0 2 0 8 0
Cardiff City (loan) 2023–24 Championship 9 0 9 0
Career total 70 1 6 0 3 0 5 0 1 0 87 1
  1. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  2. ^ Appearance in EFL Trophy

Honours edit

VfB Stuttgart
AFC Bournemouth

References edit

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

External links edit