Killian Phillips starts for Crystal Palace.
Dubliner Killian Phillips was named in the Crystal Palace starting line-up for their pre-season friendly defeat to Liverpool on Friday.
Palace boss Patrick Vieira picked the midfielder to start against Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, as the two Premier League sides met in Singapore.
While Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners, it was still a memorable occasion for Phillips, who joined the Eagles from Drogheda United in January of this year.
Killian Phillips: “I wish my ma was here.”
“I was playing Sunday League three years ago,” the 20-year-old told club media. “It’s madness, this time last year, I would have had about 14 senior appearances.
“It’s unbelievable. I don’t usually take stuff in, I always want to know what’s next, what’s next, what’s next…. but I think today I’ll sit back and look back and reflect. I did well, yeah.”
“I’m just enjoying it to be honest, I’m back loving my football, I missed it during the summer, I have nothing else besides football.
“I’m loving it, I just wish my ma was here tonight but I’m sure she’s watching back home in Kilbarrack.”
"I just wish my ma was here tonight" 🥰
Killian Phillips, everyone 🙌#CPFC | #Tour2022
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 15, 2022
Irish youngsters at Palace.
Phillips and fellow youngster Jes Rak-Sakyi starting together in the centre of Vieira’s midfield, alongside the more experienced presence of Luka Milivojevic.
He impressed during his 64 minutes on the pitch in a game in which Jordan Henderson and Mo Salah provided the goals that secured a win for Liverpool at the National Stadium in Singapore.
Fellow Irish youngsters Tayo Adaramola and Jake O’Brien were also given runout, coming on for Palace at the same point in the game that Phillips went off.
The appearance for Phillips comes just six months after he was plucked from Drogheda after impressing the Selhurst Park outfit on trial.
At the time, he credited fellow Dubliner and Palace under-23 coach Paddy McCarthy with helping him settle in to his new surroundings.
Killian Phillips.
“I’m delighted to be he I’m proud to be a Crystal Palace player,” Phillips told the club website.
“Paddy was talking to me about signing for different clubs. He said to me it’s like buying a home: when you walk into the right home you know it’s the right place, and that’s kind of how I felt at Crystal Palace the first day I walked in.”
Phillips will be hoping for more minutes on the field when Palace fly off to Australia to continue their pre-season preparations.
Vieira’s side will come up against Manchester United in Melbourne this coming Tuesday, before facing Leeds United in Perth three days later.
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