Pep Guardiola has offered a sincere apology to Kalvin Phillips after previously describing the England midfielder as "overweight."
The Manchester City manager expressed regret for his comments, acknowledging that they were not appropriate. Guardiola had claimed that Phillips needed to improve his fitness before returning to play or train.
Unfortunately, this led to Phillips facing regular taunts from fans about his weight, affecting his confidence, as he admitted in a recent interview. To make amends, Guardiola reached out to Phillips, recognizing the impact his words had on the player.
Asked if he regretted the comments, the City manager said: "Yeah, I’m sorry. Once in eight years is not bad. But I’m so sorry. I apologise to him. I do apologise. I’m so sorry."
Guardiola revealed he had discussed the matter with Phillips before going public. "I spoke about that," he said. "Yeah before our game. I spoke to him. Before I say something here [in the media] I speak with the players [first] in that case."
Phillips had a challenging time at City, making only two Premier League starts in 18 months since his £45 million transfer from Leeds. His move to West Ham hasn't been smooth either.
He made a mistake on his debut against Bournemouth, and in a 3-0 loss to Manchester United, another error from him resulted in a goal.
Adding to the difficulties, Phillips was sent off in West Ham's 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday after receiving two yellow cards in less than three minutes. It's been a bumpy start for him at his new club.
