Football

“The Bolton Baresi” – Liverpool fans wax lyrical over 23-year-old’s defensive masterclass

Chris Wilson 10 March 2021

Liverpool advanced to the Quarter-Finals of the Champions League tonight, with a 4-0 aggregate win over RB Leipzig – to ease the pressure on Jurgen Klopp.

It’s a welcome clean sheet for a leaky Reds defence that has been heavily hampered by injury this season and huge credit is owed to Nat Phillips.

It perhaps hasn’t all been plain sailing for Phillips since his emergence this season, but tonight he stood up to the task and produced his best performance in a Liverpool shirt to date.

Phillips has been with Liverpool since 2016 and spent last season on loan at Stuttgart where he caught the eye and earned a chance to impress for his parent club this season.

Indeed injuries have helped him get a chance and he hasn’t necessarily ripped up trees but his performance tonight what exactly what he is about.

An old fashioned defender, who knows what his game is about and he sticks to that.

Primarily he’s there to defend and that’s what he did tonight – an assured Champions League debut.

He has the heart of a lion and would put his head in front of anything if it meant keeping a clean sheet, something Liverpool have lacked all season, so perhaps his lack of inclusion in the Premier League is a surprise.

His performance tonight has certainly captured the hearts of the Anfield faithful, who were quick to sing the praises of the 23-year-old.

Here’s what they had to say on twitter….