Each evening before Kalvin Phillips takes to the field for England at Euro 2020, he receives a good message from Walter ‘Sonny’ Sweeney, the scout who first spotted him for Leeds United aged 13.
The text always include the words Confidence and Concentration. ‘That’s what Don Revie would write in a telegram whenever I played for Scotland under-18s,’ explains Sweeney, who joined Leeds in the 1960s and is still uncovering talent for the club half-a-century later.
‘It’s passing on a tradition. Jack Charlton was a one-club man who represented us at the 1966 World Cup and Kalvin is doing the same at the Euros. I knew Big Jack well. He would have loved Kalvin because he’s a great passer of the ball but isn’t afraid to put his foot in either.
Kalvin Phillips pictured with Walter ‘Sonny’ Sweeney, the scout who first spotted him for Leeds United aged 13
‘To have played every game of the tournament shows what Gareth Southgate thinks of him.’
Yorkshire won as many gold medals as Japan at the London Olympics in 2012 and its influence on this England football team is also huge.
Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all came through the Sheffield United academy while John Stones hails from just up the road in Barnsley. The rise of Phillips 25 miles further north is arguably the most remarkable journey of all.
A year ago, he’d never played in the Premier League let alone won an England cap. Yet he’s become a mainstay of Southgate’s midfield - dubbed the Yorkshire Pirlo - and covered 15 kilometres, more than any player, against Denmark on Wednesday.
His story is one of triumph over adversity with mum Lindsay having to raise the family while dad spent time in prison.
His football career has been hard-earned as well. First discovered by Sweeney playing for Wortley Juniors, he was overshadowed at the Leeds academy by other prospects like Lewis Cook and Alex Mowatt, and wasn’t initially popular with fans in the first-team despite growing up close to Elland Road where he idolised the club’s striker Alan Smith.
Sweeney, who founded the Churwell Lions boys’ club that produced Leeds captains Jonny Howson and Richard Naylor, remembers the first time he saw Phillips.
Phillips' football career has been hard earned and he had to battle to win people over at Leeds
‘There was this kid pinging the ball about, his passing ability stood out right away and I thought “Phew, he can play”,’ he recalls.
Though Phillips eventually made the first team, his progress was a slow burn until Marcelo Bielsa arrived in 2018.
‘I was fed up going to Elland Road hearing supporters moaning and groaning that he couldn’t get about the pitch,’ recalls Sweeney.
‘I’d always end up in an argument because I knew he had talent, he was just trying to support other players who obviously weren’t as good as the England team he’s in now.
‘When Marcelo Bielsa came, everything changed. He assessed Kalvin’s strengths and played him in front of the back four so he could read the game and had time and space to use his ability. It kickstarted his career and clearly got all the players really fit as well.
‘With the game in front of him, Kalvin showed what he could do with his passing. Now with the quality of players around him with England, he breaks forward at the right times.
‘I watched him against Croatia, the quick movement, two touches and through-ball for Raheem Sterling to score. That is the ability he’s always had.’
On reaching the final, Phillips wore a t-shirt bearing the name of his Granny Val who died earlier this year. Strong female role models have been an important aspect in his development with the Leeds academy appointing women to key posts which was unusual at the time including Faith Atack, the head of sports science and medicine.
The central midfielder has become a mainstay of England's midfield during Euro 2020
After reaching the final, Phillips wore a t-shirt bearing the name of his Granny Val who died earlier this year
‘It was forward-thinking and gave our players a different perspective which really helped them in the long term,’ says academy director Neil Redfearn.
‘We were ahead of our time in some respects. We’d look in close detail how far players at the top would run in a game and aim for our lads to emulate that so they’d be ready for the next stage.
‘When I became first-team manager, I gave Kalvin his debut. I waited until the day of the game to tell him because I didn’t want to cause him stress but that was never likely to happen to be honest.
‘One of his strengths is his great mentality, an inner belief. We had a few younger players in the team and it was good for them to have their mates alongside.’
Success hasn’t spoiled him. ‘He’s not
