Ashley Phillips has been a fixture in the Stoke City defence for the best part of two years but he will return to parent club Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the season
Ashley Phillips has a ‘really good career ahead of him’, believes Mark Robins, as the centre-half is nominated as Championship young player of the year.
The 20-year-old centre-half is coming towards the end of his second season on loan at Stoke City from Tottenham Hotspur and he will be one of the first names on the teamsheet against his first club Blackburn Rovers at the bet365 Stadium tomorrow (3pm).
He has developed into a fans’ favourite thanks to his whole-hearted approach during two years in the Potteries, as well as cementing himself in the England under-21s squad with whispers in his ear from Wales to try to secure his senior international allegiance.
He is up against Leicester City midfielder Jordan James (on loan from Rennes), Derby County midfielder Bobby Clark (on loan from Red Bull Salzburg) and Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck at the annual EFL awards.
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Robins said: “When I came in I thought he did really, really well to the back end of last season which prompted us to bring him back in this season. He was patient, had to be patient, until Bosun (Lawal) got injured and then he’s really been an ever-present apart from missing a game through suspension.
“He’s done pretty well and there’s still got a lot of development in him. He’s got a lot of developing to do but he’s got a lot of development in him and he’s regularly finding himself in the under-21s so he’s in a really good position.
“He will have played 70-odd games for us and just short of one hundred games in the Championship, which for his age is some doing.
“He’s got a really good career ahead of him. It will depend how much more development he can achieve where he ends up but he’ll have a good career.”
Phillips admits he forgets sometimes that he is only on loan and he is clearly always proud to pull on a Stoke shirt. He is under contract at Tottenham until 2028.
Robins said: “He’s a really good kid, young man. He is someone who is mostly optimistic, happy around the place and happy in himself and that’s always good to have.”
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