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Former English professional footballer Gabby Agbonlahor has said that Liverpool centre-half Nat Phillips is not good enough for the standards of the Premier League. He said that he is at best a 'championship player'.
Gabby revealed his take on the English player after he was called upon by Liverpool to play in the Champions League against AC Milan on Wednesday.
The Reds ended their group stage with a 2-1 win over the Italian giants. Mohamed Salah and Divok Origi scored for Liverpool while Fikayo Tomori clinched a consolation goal for AC Milan.
This was Phillips' first start of the season as Jurgen Klopp announced major changes to his starting 11 ahead of the clash. Earlier in the season, Phillips was used as a sub against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and Preston North End in the EFL Cup.
However, he had become a regular starter for the Reds in the second half of their campaign last season as Jurgen Klopp rotated his squad following injuries to his key players. The 24-year-old featured in 20 games last season as Liverpool finished in the top four in the Premier League.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Gabby said:
"Nat Phillips is not a Premier League centre-half. For me, he’s a Championship player at best, he’s not good enough for the Premier League, especially at the top end.”
Jurgen Klopp's team finished their Champions League group stage winning all their respective ties against the other teams placed in Group B. Liverpool had Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, Portuguese club Porto and Serie A behemoth AC Milan in the group.
Alongside Liverpool, Atletico Madrid qualified for the round-of-16 with a decisive win over Porto on Wednesday.
Liverpool goes ahead in the Champions League round-of-16 with a 6 game winning streak
The Premier League giants have entered the next round of the elite European tournament with a win over AC Milan. Mohamed Salah has been a constant performer for the team and remains a potent threat against any team currently present in the world.
Klopp's worries could arise when Salah and Mane leave for their national duties to play in the African Cup of Nations in late December 2021.
Having won all their matches in the group stage makes Liverpool a difficult side to take on. It would be interesting to see who ends up drawing against the Premier League giants in the next round.
A 6-game winning streak in the toughest European tournament is a one-of-a-kind achievement for the team and the manager as well. Courtesy of the win at the San Siro, Liverpool became the first English team to secure a perfect UCL group stage campaign.
