Ashley Phillips has spoken following his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Middlesbrough
Sign up to our Team Talk newsletter
Sign up
Thank you for signing up!
Did you know with a Digital subscription to Yorkshire Post, you can get access to all of our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.
Submitting...
Ashley Phillips believes his new club Middlesbrough deserve to be in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old finally completed a move to the Riverside from Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend after weeks of speculation.
He has linked up with a club widely tipped to mount an assault on the Championship title after last season’s play-off final heartbreak.
Ashley Phillips’ Premier League ambition
A cultured centre-back, Phillips has been lauded as a coup for the North Yorkshire club and made it clear what his ambition is after penning a five-year deal.
He told Middlesbrough’s website: “I’m very excited to be here and can’t wait to be on the pitch. This is an amazing club and it deserves to be in the Premier League.
“I hope to be a good addition to what’s already a fantastic squad, and hopefully we can achieve great things together this season.”
Ashley Phillips’ EFL experience
Phillips has not arrived at the Riverside as an EFL novice having featured in the Championship for Blackburn Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Stoke City.
He said: “I got some great experience at a young age with Blackburn, and then experienced what it’s like to be a Premier League player at Tottenham.
“I think I’ve developed myself into a good player during my loans, but there’s more to come from me and I hope I can show that here at Middlesbrough.”
Phillips has reunited with his former Tottenham teammate Will Lankshear, who was lured to the Riverside earlier in the summer.
Lankshear made his league debut for Boro at the weekend, firing Kim Hellberg’s side to a 2-1 victory over Lincoln City with a brace.
Middlesbrough will return to action on Saturday (August 22), visiting Phillips’ former employers Blackburn.