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West Brom have started their summer transfer window well, and Ryan Mason will be pleased with his team’s early progress.
While the Baggies have missed out on Josh Mulligan, they have made one huge move to bring in a new centre-back to help strengthen after an awkward end to the campaign from a defensive point of view.
Nat Phillips has explained why he chose West Brom after a very successful loan spell at Derby County in 2024/25, with the ex-Liverpool man finally finding a permanent home after temporary spells in England, Scotland, Wales and Germany over the course of the last few years.
However, for his old Reds boss, Jurgen Klopp, the 28-year-old will always hold a special place in his heart after an immense campaign in 2020/21 where he was brought in to the starting XI at Anfield following an injury crisis.
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Jurgen Klopp is a huge Nat Phillips fan
Phillips played 17 times for Liverpool in the Premier League during that season, and Klopp has previously spoken of how much respect he has for the new West Brom man.
He said in 2021 (via: Daily Mail): “People often ask me which player made the biggest improvements under my leadership, and I say Robert Lewandowski. That’s probably right, but not far off that is Nat Phillips, just in a completely different department.
“I remember when I saw Nat Phillips first. I spoke to him after the game and he’s one of the smartest players I ever worked with. I told him ‘You know you are not the easiest on the eye, eh?’ but he improved in pretty much everything since, and he’s not playing.
“Life is sometimes not fair and I can’t blame him. We cannot keep him forever, that’s clear. We needed him, just to be safe, for that half year. We will see what happens in the window, but his development is absolutely insane. I would sign him for any club except Liverpool because we have him.”
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Derby County fans will be disappointed that West Brom signed Nat Phillips
It was Phillips who scored the goal that ultimately kept Derby in the Championship last season, and West Brom know exactly what they are getting from the defender.
He’s a calm presence at the back, and while he may not be the best ball-playing defender, the ex-Celtic loanee will put his body on the line for the team.
It’s crucial that Phillips is given a run of games from the start of the season at Albion, as he proved with the Rams in 2024/25 that he does need consistent minutes to get to his very best. But those in the East Midlands will have a little bit of jealousy that West Brom were able to get a deal done.