Nat Phillips: Liverpool defender on Cruyff-turning Zlatan Ibrahimovic and life on loan at Derby and elsewhere

It's the Champions League.

You are in the San Siro. Zlatan Ibrahimovic locks you in your own box. You are a centre-back, someone known for his physicality, aerial ability and general no-nonsense approach.

So what do you do…?

Or D) Cruijff: coolly get out of trouble. Calmly step out of the defense and shoot the ball to a teammate in midfield.

Naturally, Nat Phillips chose option D.

“It's not like I was like, 'I'm going to do something to be a showboat here!' he tells Sky Sports, with a big smile on his face.

“The ball fell at my feet after bouncing around a pair of legs. It was a bit of an awkward situation.

“I actually wanted to knock it out of the game. But out of the corner of my eye I saw Zlatan blocking me from the corner.

“I think he was trying to read that I had broken it, so naturally I quickly changed my mind. I rolled over it with my studs and turned to the side.

“Afterwards I could hear the reactions of my teammates and the stadium, so I know it must have looked beautiful.

“It wasn't until I saw the replays afterwards that I could really see it with my own eyes.”

Now that he has been loaned out to Derby County, I asked him whether his current manager, Paul Warne, would like such a move.

“I don't think he would be a big fan of it!” Philips laughs.

“As with any of these moments, if it works, it's great and everyone is happy. But it's not something you want to make a habit of as a central defender.”

It is difficult to think of anyone who has played fewer games for Liverpool and who is as warmly regarded among the fanbase as Phillips.

Only 29 appearances in total, but 20 of those came in the 2020/21 season, when an injury crisis hit their defense and he was called up to come on almost out of nowhere.

Philips was brilliant. He became leader at the back in the absence of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Helping the club keep several clean sheets and qualify for the Champions League.

Manager Jurgen Klopp and club legend Jamie Carragher were among those who fell for the centre-back.

“Having the opportunity to play for Liverpool at that level was a great time for me and I look back on it fondly,” says Phillips.

“It was a strange season. But it was something I was proud to be a part of, and I was happy that we managed to finish so strongly.

“It really helped my confidence and I really benefited from it. The whole build-up was great, but scoring the goal against Burnley was a very special moment for me.”

Unfortunately for Phillips, Liverpool's injury crisis subsided the following season and he was back on the sidelines. Loan periods at Bournemouth, Celtic, Cardiff and now Derby have since followed.

Now 27, Phillips finds himself in a strange situation where he has never really had a solid footing.

There may be some frustration with the continued borrowing, but he has only taken steps that he believes have benefited his own journey.

“When I go back to Liverpool for pre-season it's always about keeping myself in good shape and training well, then just seeing where the cards are and going from there,” he says.

“There has been talk of me going out permanently for a while now. It's never really been a case of anyone closing that door, it's just circumstances that have developed over the seasons.

“I just wanted to play as much football as possible. That's always been my goal and what I always wanted to do.

“It would be nice to establish something more permanent at some point. It certainly makes life easier in general when there is less movement.

“I try not to look too far ahead, but I know I'm no longer in my early twenties.

“At the end of the day, I have always prioritized my career and I am happy to make those sacrifices when necessary.

“But in general I feel like centre-backs tend to have their best years later in their careers. Hopefully I can do the same.”

With Phillips' journey has come an element of reflection. He knows what he has to offer and he is starting to show his best again for Derby.

“I've gained a lot of experience from my previous loan spells, and also from my time at Liverpool,” he says. 'That's something I can take with me everywhere now.

“I really learned to live in the moment because in this game you only have so much control over the future.

“You can tie yourself in knots thinking about what might happen in certain situations, but all you can do is try to do your best every day and see where it takes you.”

Sometimes football can leave you in Derby, other times it can send you riding silkily past an icon in an Italian amphitheater. That's actually the beauty of the game.

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