Kalvin Phillips: Roy Keane reveals why Newcastle United ‘target’ will be ‘fuming’ following West Ham struggles

Roy Keane believes Kalvin Phillips will be ‘fuming’ after starting West Ham’s clash with Manchester United on the bench, less than two weeks after joining the Hammers from Manchester City. Phillips was heavily-linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium during January and moved to the London Stadium with a view of getting more regular first-team football.

Having featured just ten times for City all season with no Premier League starts, Phillips’ move to West Ham was viewed as a good way for him to regain match fitness and first-team football ahead of England’s European Championship campaign in Germany this summer. However, after starting against Bournemouth on Thursday, a game that saw Dominic Solanke capitalise on an error by the midfielder to put the Cherries ahead inside three minutes, Phillips was left on the bench by David Moyes for his side’s trip to Old Trafford.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Keane said: “From the player’s point of view I think he’d be fuming. You go to get some games, he played 70 minutes, he’s a sitting midfielder, you use your intelligence there in terms of when to sprint and when to sit in.

“Obviously David Moyes will be worried about it in terms of picking up an injury quickly but from the player’s point of view, he has to get minutes under his belt, he has to get games. Remember he’s on loan from City, he’s going to Old Trafford and now he’s sitting on the bench. Obviously David Moyes is an experienced manager but I think from the player’s point of view, he’ll be fuming.”

Newcastle United were interested in signing Phillips last month, however, they pulled out of a potential deal for the midfielder over financial reasons. The total package for Phillips would have reportedly cost the Magpies around £7m in all, with wages and loan fee included, and Eddie Howe revealed that the club were not able to proceed with a move: "We had to step away from that one due to financial reasons," Howe admitted. "I don’t want to go into too much detail but it was financial-related."