Ipswich Town sign Kalvin Philips on season-long loan from Premier League defending champions Manchester City

Ipswich [UK], August 16 (ANI): Premier League Ipswich Town announced the signing of Kalvin Philips from the defending champions Manchester City on a season-long loan.

The 28-year-old midfielder has struggled to establish himself as a mainstay in Manchester City’s set-up. He spent the second half of the last season on loan at West Ham United.

He will link up immediately with Ipswich Town and will be in contention for their Premier League season opener against Liverpool on Saturday.

Before joining Manchester City, Philips was a regular starter for Leeds United. During his time with the club, he clocked up 234 appearances and won the Championship title in 2020. Philips has also earned a total of 31 caps for England.

After signing for Ipswich on a season-long loan deal, Philips said in a statement released by the club, “This is a day I’ve been waiting a number of weeks for now and I’m very happy to be here. I’ve had some great conversations with players I know here and also with the Manager, who I have heard a lot about, and I’m excited to be here and be part of his team, playing how he likes to play the game.”

“The conversations with Kieran McKenna and Mark Ashton have been really good and I followed Ipswich’s season closely last year, so I know the journey the Club has been on and it’s a great story which I’m now excited to be a part of. I want to play as many games as possible, enjoy playing football again and help the team win as many games as possible in the Premier League,” he added.

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna was delighted about Philips joining the club and said, “We are very happy to have Kalvin here and he is a fantastic signing for the football club. He is of course a high-calibre, experienced midfielder who has played at the highest levels of the game, in both club and international football. He’s had a fantastic career up until this point and we believe he is going to be a big addition to the group.”

“Kalvin has much to offer us in terms of his qualities both on and off the ball, and he is a humble and likeable character. He has been a key member of a newly-promoted team in the Premier League before and of course, made a big impression for Leeds United during that period. Like all players who come here, we want to try and help them improve, whether that’s a younger player or one with more experience. That’s a big part of our culture and we’re sure Kalvin can make some big steps with us to help him and the Club have a positive season,” he added.