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Kalvin Phillips influence in recent Leeds United transfer revealed after club sign off agreement

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Kalvin Phillips urged Leif Davis to leave Leeds United for AFC Bournemouth this summer in a bid to secure himself regular senior football.

Leeds have struggled to offer Davis a pathway into the first-team at Elland Road following his arrival in 2018. That set to continue this coming season following the arrival of Junior Firpo, which has led to the 21-year-old’ exit.

On the back of that agreement, it has been revealed by Davis that Phillips was one player encouraging him to make the move this summer.

As quoted in an article by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Davis commented on Phillips’ role in the transfer alongside former Elland Road favourite, Lewis Cook.

He [Kalvin Phillips] helped me out a lot. He wants me to get back to playing football again and enjoying football and he said he’d spoken to Lewis [Cook].

Lewis said to Kalvin that I’d love it down here and that he’d look after me. As soon as Kalvin told me that, I couldn’t wait to get down.

Davis has managed 14 senior appearances for Leeds in his career. Two of those came last year in the Premier League against Man City and Man United.

However, Firpo’s arrival pushes him down the pecking order, with the 24-year-old taking the No.3 shirt and expected to be Marcelo Bielsa’s go-to left-back.

Interestingly, the deal that takes Davis to Bournemouth is on loan, but with the view to a permanent deal further down the line.

This is interesting and underlines the more senior role Phillips has grown into under Bielsa.

He recognises Davis’ playing situation and realises that it is hardly ideal for the young defender to be lacking regular first-team football.

At that age, Phillips was starting to breakthrough at Leeds. Of course, it wasn’t until Bielsa got hold of him that he started to excel, but he was still learning an awful lot.

Davis needs those kinds of knocks and experience out in the EFL, which Bournemouth are going to give him.

It’s a really good move for him on the face of things. Let’s just hope it all develops nicely for him over the course of the season.

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Leeds United Season Ticket Holder at Elland Road for over 20 seasons. Currently nestled in N12, but occasionally offering views from the press box. We’ve been through it all together? You bet.