Town’s newest recruit Kalvin Phillips says he wants to enjoy his football again and repay the trust Kieran McKenna has shown in bringing him to Portman Road this season.
Phillips became the Blues’ eighth new recruit of the summer, signing on a season-long loan deal from reigning Premier League champions Manchester City earlier today.
The 28-year-old comes with a wealth of top-flight experience, having played 73 times in the Premier League, more than any other player in the Town squad.
"It’s been a long day but a day that I’ve been waiting for a number of weeks,” Phillips told TownTV upon signing for the club.
"I’ve had conversations between players that are here – Leif [Davis], Ben Johnson. Then I spoke to the manager which I’ve heard a lot about and seen the way he plays football, very attractive.
"It was a decision I wanted to make to come here and play his way of football and experience it with some old friends, as well.
"Keeping them connections with players from other teams, especially Leif who I’ve been friends with for a number of years. They’ve been very good conversations and them persuading me to come as well. They said the area’s lovely, they said it’s not as busy as Leeds, Manchester or London.”
Phillips followed the Blues closely last season and knows all about the style of play, something he says was a big attraction in making the temporary switch to Suffolk.
He said: "I followed them quite a lot last year, obviously I’m a Leeds fan. The battle between them to get promoted was very exciting and I watched a lot of games because of Leif.
"I loved how they played, very free-flowing and I love the story of coming from League One and getting promoted again.
"A lot of the players here can be very proud of what they’ve done and I’m pretty sure they’re going to be even prouder when they walk out onto Portman Road against Liverpool.
"The style of football is very attractive, it’s very easy going on the eye. They’re a team that love being on the ball and love to play football and express themselves.
"Watching last year and as soon as I knew they were coming up, there was a chance of me reunited with Leif and playing here.
"I’ve been at Man City for a couple of years and not played as much, but they’re the pinnacle of how beautiful football can be. I think Ipswich are on the right lines, especially with the manager who’s had great success with this team and improved them.”
Phillips was promoted with Leeds United to the Premier League in 2020 before enjoying a successful two years in the Premier League with the Whites, earning his move to Manchester City in 2022.
The midfielder hopes his own experiences as a newly-promoted player can help the existing group at the Blues, with many of the playing group going into the league for the first time.
"The experiences with Leeds are memories I’ll never forget with people I’ll never forget,” he recalled. "In the Premier League we did really well in the first year and caught a few teams by surprise with how fit we all were. I think that’s the case with Ipswich, they will catch teams by surprise with how well they play and how good the players are. I’m looking forward to it.
"Personally, it’s about trying to play as many games as possible and enjoy playing football again, which I’ve struggled to do over the last couple of years. We’ll try and win as many games as possible but also enjoy the experience and enjoy every second of it because you never know how long it’s going to last.
"I try to play football with a smile on my face and footballers are always happier when they’re playing. To have some close friends around me while I’m doing that and to be in a nice area is always better.”
He added: "Success would be to give a little bit of experience to the players that haven’t played in the Premier League and to be there for anybody that needs me. The manager’s played a big part in me coming here, and just to repay him for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to play for this club.
"It’s an unbelievable opportunity. The players deserve this moment, the fans deserve this moment for sticking by the team for so long, and the manager as well.
"I can’t wait to be there and experience it and experience the stadium as well. I’ve heard it’s a very good atmosphere here and I’m looking forward to it.”
Phillips also brings experience as a full England international with 31 caps to his name and featured at both the Euros in 2021 and the World Cup in 2022.
"The Euros final is a memory that will stick with me forever,” he said of those experiences. "I can remember every single game from the tournament. Having good people in the dressing room, a good team camaraderie and enjoying every minute of it.”
On his pre-season preparations, Phillips said: "It’s been okay. I played a couple of games in the US as a midfielder and a couple more as a centre-back. It was eventful and quite long, but I’m feeling in very good shape and I’m very happy with where I am.”
Phillips was Town's second signing of the day with the Blues closing in on a third and ninth of the summer, midfielder Jens Cajuste.
The Sweden international has been spotted in Suffolk ahead of undergoing a medical prior to the confirmation of his season-long loan from Napoli, a move which will reportedly cost the Blues €1.5 million (£1.3 million) with a mandatory €12 million (£10.2 million) buy-out should Town stay up.