The central defender was handed a first-ever Premier League start in Liverpool’s 2-1 comeback victory against West Ham United and produced an accomplished performance to repay Jürgen Klopp’s faith in him.
Phillips’ only previous competitive appearance for the Reds came in the FA Cup win over Everton last season – an occasion that was sandwiched by loan spells in the German second tier with VfB Stuttgart.
And the opportunity in the top flight – in a game that was won courtesy of goals from Mohamed Salah and substitute Diogo Jota – marked another big step for the 23-year-old, who is now eager to build on a Premier League debut he had been aiming for since childhood.