Kalvin Phillips makes surprise Ipswich Town, Leeds United admission | OneFootball

A decision between the two clubs may not have been as straightforward as it would seem

Former Leeds United favourite Kalvin Phillips has revealed that he may still have joined Ipswich Town even if the Whites had been promoted alongside them.

It’s been no secret in recent times that Phillips has been looking for a way out of Manchester City for a good while.

His £42million move from the Whites never really got going, but with just under four years left to run on his deal at the Etihad, an exit strategy is no easy feat.

A loan at West Ham United didn’t quite go to plan but, credit to Phillips, he was hungry to get back out there and try again this season.

He was eagerly watching the Championship promotion race, potentially hoping his adored Leeds would make the cut, but they missed out and Phillips took a temporary switch to Ipswich Town.

Phillips provides strong backing for Ipswich call

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Phillips, boyhood Leeds fan and well-regarded at the club, would have jumped at the chance to join the Whites in the Premier League, with Ipswich a strong back-up plan.

But that’s not quite how the 28-year-old sees it.

Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, he said: “I went to that game [the play-off final] and was devastated they didn’t go up. Obviously, I wanted Leeds to get promoted. It’s a club very close to my heart.

“Even if Leeds had been promoted and Ipswich had maybe come up in the play-offs then it still would have been a very close call as to where I’d have gone because I just love the story of Ipswich. The more I looked into the team and the manager and the club’s rebuild the more I liked.

“I just needed a team that was together and to be at a place where I’d enjoy coming in every single day. I wanted to play every week in a team of fighters that work really hard. It just felt like Ipswich fitted me to a tee and I still feel that way.”

It will likely come as a shock to some Leeds fans that Ipswich could have held any sway if an Elland Road return had been calling.

A Leeds reunion would surely have been too hard to refuse

But what must be remembered here is that Phillips is trying to build a good rapport with a new fanbase and is speaking to local media in Ipswich.

To allude to the fact that Portman Road was his second choice would do the complete opposite, and would not make his time there any easier.

What is revealing is that even under those circumstances, Phillips is still happy to go on record and say that it would have been a very close call — it shows that even when trying to big up his support for a new side, he still struggles to shed himself of his ties to Leeds.

Had Leeds won promotion next season at the end of 2023/24, and Phillips had the choice of two promoted sides, no matter how well-run Ipswich is, it surely would have been too hard to turn down a move back to Elland Road.

Phillips’ stance will be interesting next summer should Leeds gain promotion

We would likely get a true insight into Phillips’ mind if Leeds did get promoted next season, when his season-long stint with the Tractor Boys is up and, in all likelihood, he’ll be on the hunt for another loan or a permanent move.

Leeds currently sit in third place, just two points behind Sunderland and Sheffield United, so there is every chance that possibility becomes a reality.

Phillips undoubtedly played his best football with the Yorkshire club, and clearly has a very strong bond with the fanbase and the team, so on paper a return looks like a dream move for both parties.

Ipswich fans will no doubt enjoy the midfielder’s strong backing of his move to their club, but the real test will come if he’s faced with the chance to return to a Premier League Leeds side.