Brought in as cover at the heart of defence amid an injury crisis at Celtic, Nat Phillips joined the club on a six-month loan deal from Premier League giants Liverpool over the summer. In Glasgow, however, he has failed to impress.
Phillips has started just four times for Brendan Rodgers’ side, making a total of eight appearances in all competitions. CeltsAreHere exclusively revealed there would be talks about his future in January, but after he has failed to capture the imagination, one assumes they will end only one way.
And according to The Athletic’s correspondent for Liverpool, James Pearce, Phillips’ loan is not expected to be extended beyond January amid his limited opportunities in Glasgow. He will likely find another loan destination this winter window.
The news comes as no surprise. At the heart of the defence, Celtic are bloated. When all of Rodgers’ centre-halves are fit, he simply has too many options.
Losing Phillips won’t be a significant blow to the champions considering what he has provided at Parkhead in his short spell. Comparisons to Shane Duffy from many supporters show how underwhelming the 26-year-old’s time at Celtic has been.
The Englishman will leave with everyone’s best wishes, but in doing so, he joins the long list of Premier League players who never lived up to expectations North of the border.
