'An absolute honour': Liverpool fans sent emotional message as summer exit confirmed | OneFootball

Reds stalwart pays heartfelt tribute after almost a decade at Anfield

Nat Phillips has bid an emotional farewell to Liverpool after leaving the club on a permanent transfer.

That move officially ended Phillips’ nine-year association with Liverpool, whom he joined from Bolton in 2016 and went on to represent 29 times at senior level across all competitions, though not since January 2023.

The 28-year-old - who did play for Liverpool in pre-season last summer - has spent plenty of time out on loan over recent years, spending last season in the second tier with Derby having also been dispatched for stints with the likes of Cardiff, Celtic, Bournemouth and Stuttgart.

Despite not featuring regularly during his near-decade at Liverpool, the club clearly had a huge impact on Phillips as he paid heartfelt tribute on social media following confirmation of his switch to West Brom.

“Thank you for all the memories, love and support,” he wrote on Instagram. “This club has been a huge part of my life, and I’ll always be grateful for the opportunities it’s given me and the people on and off the pitch who I have been fortunate to meet along the way.

“It’s been an absolute honour to represent Liverpool and one that I will be forever proud of. Lastly, a special thank you to the fans, whose support I have felt continuously.

“I wish the club and all involved the very best of luck for the future. YNWA.”

Phillips follows Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher as the latest permanent exit from Liverpool this summer, with that duo having joined Real Madrid and Brentford respectively for fees of £10m and £18m.

Goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros signed a new contract before joining Ajax on a season-long loan last week, while Jarell Quansah is set to complete a £34m move to Bayer Leverkusen, heading in the opposite direction to new Anfield recruits Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, who are being joined on Merseyside by Armin Pecsi and Milos Kerkez.

Liverpool are expected to bid for Crystal Palace’s FA Cup-winning captain Marc Guehi and are also being linked with the likes of Lyon winger Malick Fofana and strikers such as Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Further outgoings from Liverpool are expected, with fresh reports that Brighton are confident of agreeing a deal for midfielder Harvey Elliott worth around £40m.

Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa are also expected to leave Anfield before the second summer transfer deadline on September 1, along with one of Andy Robertson or Kostas Tsimikas, while speculation continues over the future of Luis Diaz amid reported interest in the Colombian forward from Barcelona and clubs in Saudi Arabia.