‘Pep said I was overweight’ - West Ham new singing Kalvin Phillips on why he left Man City
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Kalvin Phillips opens up on why he left Man City || Imago

‘Pep said I was overweight’ - West Ham new singing Kalvin Phillips on why he left Man City

Stephen Oladehinde 13:49 - 11.02.2024

England midfielder Kalvin Phillips has revealed some of the reasons he left Manchester City for West Ham.

The new West Ham signing joined Manchester City in 2022 from Leeds United for a reported initial fee worth £42 million.

However, he failed to impress at the club and struggled to get a starting berth in Guardiola’s team, leading him to leave the club on loan to West Ham.

The midfield player claims that his time at Manchester City was "stressful" and that he feels "more alive" now that he is at West Ham on loan.

Kalvin Phillips on leaving Man City

Pep Guardiola's team only saw six starts from the 28-year-old during his time at City, and Phillips claimed that the manager's criticism of his weight affected his confidence.

Phillips said as reported by BBC, "After the World Cup was probably the toughest when Pep came out and said I was overweight.

"He was right to do so but there are different ways to go about it. I did not disagree with him but obviously, I took a big knock on my confidence and how I felt at City. And my family were not happy about it, either. Especially my mum.

Kalvin Philips in action for West Ham || Imago
Kalvin Philips in action for West Ham || Imago

"It was just a misunderstanding and I think he was very frustrated with me coming back 1.5kg over my weight target."

In December, Phillips won the Club World Cup and the Treble with City. However, he was a bit part player, and in the summer, midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes arrived to further increase competition for spots.

The fact of not having enough playing time at Man City led to the player deciding to move to West Ham on loan to boost his chances of making Engl