Celtic are closing in on the signing of Liverpool central defender Nat Phillips according to The Times. The Englishman looks set to bolster Brendan Rodgers’ defensive options, with his presence being greatly welcomed at a time of need. Ahead of the potential signing, CeltsAreHere tells you all you need to know about the 26-year-old.
Phillips started his career at Bolton. He never made a first-team appearance for the club, and moved to Liverpool in 2016 at 19. Three years later, he departed for Stuttgart on loan in the Bundesliga after finding opportunities limited in Merseyside. He did get his hands on the Champions League a few months before heading to Germany (Instagram):
After a solid year on the continent, Phillips returned to the Reds. He was kept around for the 2020/21 season by Jurgen Klopp and had to be called upon midway through it when the club were in the middle of a centre-half injury crisis.
Phillips came in and eventually made 20 appearances for the Reds that season, including three in the Champions League. He proved to be a dependable option for his side and played a key part in securing a top-four finish for them.
In 2021/22, he fell out of favour as key players returned from injury. Phillips eventually went on loan to Bournemouth for the second half of it where he mustered 18 appearances. That leads us to last season where he played only seven games for Liverpool throughout it.
Now going forward, Phillips will be eager for minutes and it appears Celtic will offer him precisely that. Standing at an imposing six foot three, the defender is sturdy. Jurgen Klopp once hailed him as a ‘monster in the air’ (Daily Mail) but he is more than capable with the ball at his feet, as seen below when he remained calm inside his area for Liverpool:
https://x.com/lfc/status/1469083185493336068?s=46&t=emTsSMtujhZFhponevT3cw
26, Phillips is entering the peak years of his career. He has a respectable amount of experience and after being practically frozen out at Liverpool last year, will have a point to prove.
Phillips is contracted at the Reds until 2025 but a one-year loan deal is perfect for Celtic. He will come in and be the perfect stop-gap until the likes of Carter-Vickers and Nawrocki are fit again. In the meantime, the Englishman needs to quickly form a partnership with Gustaf Lagerbielke as he could well start alongside the Swede in Sunday’s Glasgow Derby.
The derby fixture is one Phillips’ Father has prior experience in. Jimmy Phillips played for Rangers for a year between 1987 and 1988 and turned out against the Hoops in a famous 2-2 draw at Ibrox. The 26-year-old could well follow in his Father’s footsteps this weekend, but he will be playing in the right colours and looking for an away win.
