BBC 5 Live pundit Don Hutchinson has been full of praise for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips after his performance against Fulham.
The Lowdown: Impressive Phillips
The England international played the full 90 minutes and scored his penalty as Leeds progressed to the next round of the EFL Cup with a penalty shoot-out win over Championship side Fulham.
Phillips played in an unusual centre-back position, alongside Charlie Cresswell, and looked at home in defence, winning three of his five aerial duels and completing 80 per cent of his passes.
Tuesday's victory is Phillip's sixth straight full game as he continues to prove his importance to Marcelo Bielsa's side.
The Latest: Best player on the pitch
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, Hutchinson was stunned by Phillips' talent and claimed the 25-year-old was the best player at Craven Cottage 'by far'.
He said: "By far, Kalvin Phillips was the best player on the pitch. You watch him play, he glides through games and he sees the picture right in front of him.
"His passing range is outrageous. He is very, very calm. Everything about him. His running game.
"Sometimes when you see a player and you think 'he is going right to the very top'."
The Verdict: Consistency is key
Phillips' eye-catching performances are the reason why Gareth Southgate injected so much trust and belief into the Leeds midfielder for last summer's European Championships, where he started every game as the Three Lions reached the final.
Links to Manchester City in the past are rightly deserved, with Phillips adapting to Premier League football nicely since the Whites earned promotion in 2020. Last season, he made 1.6 interceptions per game, 2.6 tackles per game and won over half of his aerial duels.
With the rise of Jude Bellingham, Phillips' consistency will be key if he is to withhold his shirt in the England squad and potentially secure a move to a top-four club, likely banking Leeds an enormous profit in the process.
In other news, an ex-Leeds man has slammed the club for this reason. Find out more here.