Liverpool defender Nat Phillips could have conceivably been a Nottingham Forest player for the 2020/21 campaign. On reflection, he can’t be happier that a move to the City Ground didn’t come to fruition.
The centre-back returned from a loan spell with Stuttgart and was all set to embark on another temporary move away from Anfield; this time in England.
According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool were considering selling Phillips, with Forest extremely keen to sign him prior to the campaign getting underway.
At that time Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip were all fit, with the Bolton-born defender Phillips way down the pecking order.
Fast forward eight months and the 24-year-old has been thrust into the spotlight. His goal in a 3-0 win for Liverpool over Burnley has put the Reds on the cusp of claiming an unlikely place in next season’s Champions League.
Phillips has played 19 times this season and will hand Jurgen Klopp a headache ahead of next season.
When his big-hitting defenders are back, the Liverpool talent has showcased himself as a top player and he’ll want to keep his shirt.
Football is a funny old game at times and it’s quite remarkable just how high Phillips has seen his stock rise in the same of under a year.
Could Forest have done more?
It was Klopp who decided that he’d need to keep Phillips around the Anfield dressing room and Forest were forced into shopping elsewhere.
The club signed Scott McKenna so it wasn’t all bad. As a left-sided option, he was fantastic during 2020/21 and is the same age as the Liverpool man.
It’s not completely unfeasible that in the next year, Phillips could find himself moving on from Liverpool.
When Klopp’s main defenders are back, they will slot straight back in and this season’s star could be on the fringes.
After receiving a taste for first-team football, he’ll want to continue playing regularly.
This season will put him in good shape if it comes to him being on the market. He’s certainly proved himself as a player capable of playing in the top-flight.
In terms of Forest landing Phillips, the ship now looks to have sailed and supporters might wonder what could have been.