Inside Kalvin Phillips’ emotional farewell to Manchester City players and staff on Etihad flight

Kalvin Phillips bid farewell to his Manchester City teammates and club staff aboard their Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi earlier this week, it has been revealed.

That address came in the week when many in football are expecting Phillips and Manchester City to finalise a loan agreement for the player to join West Ham United for the remainder of the ongoing campaign.

The London Stadium club are also expected to hold an option to buy the England international midfielder in the summer upon the expiry of his temporary agreement, as long as Manchester City’s valuation – which some are mooting to be €40 million – is met.

Phillips has however had one final opportunity to say farewell to the Manchester City players and staff members that accompanied him on the club’s historic 2023 calendar year and five trophies claimed for the Etihad club.

According to the information of MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, Kalvin Phillips said his farewells to his Manchester City teammates and all 100 staff members on board the club’s Etihad Airways flight back from Abu Dhabi and their warm-weather training camp on Tuesday.

The Mail’s report also highlights the fantastic relationship between Phillips and the rest of the City squad, as a source told the newspaper, “The players will miss him”.

Phillips is hoping to revive his top-level playing career having seen his game time at Manchester City drastically reduced from his Leeds United days, falling down the club’s midfield pecking order behind the likes of Rodrigo, Matheus Nunes, and Mateo Kovacic.

Gareth Southgate will be naming his England international squad for the upcoming European Championships in the coming months, and Phillips is hoping to see meaningful game time for West Ham to book himself a ticket on the plane to Germany in the summer.

Whether or not Manchester City hold any plans to reintegrate Phillips into their set-up this summer remains to be seen, however they are likely to be in the transfer market for midfield reinforcements nonetheless.