You’d be hard-pressed to find a more beloved player at Leeds United than Kalvin Phillips.

Fans absolutely adore the Yorkshire Pirlo, praising him on almost a weekly basis and proclaiming that their season was over when he went down injured last month.

You can understand why supporters love him as well, he’s an incredibly talented player, once being hailed as the best in the Championship, and on top of that, he’s a local lad who’s supported the club from a young age.

There are often stories of players turning out for their boyhood clubs, declaring that they’re living their dream, but with Phillips, it’s slightly different.

The midfielder isn’t just a key player in the team, but he’s a bastion of the community feel around the club.

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The Whites are the only team in the city of Leeds, and that makes for a huge feeling of togetherness and family at Elland Road – the locals have very little choice other than to get behind the team.

Phillips grew up with that feeling, and since breaking into the team he’s been more than happy to give back.

In fact, he’s recently been nominated for the PFA Community Player of the Year for the third time in a row, and a quick read of the club’s article on the matter shows that he would be a worthy recipient.

From visiting unwell children and helping school initiatives to switching on the Christmas lights, Phillips doesn’t only live and breathe Leeds United, he lives and breathes Leeds as a city.

Rumours are constantly swirling about a potential departure for the Yorkshire Pirlo, and if he did leave the club, they’d be losing more than just a footballer.

In the modern era where footballers earn thousands of pounds every week and live a life that many of us could only ever dream of, the 24-year-old is a true throwback to the times where players were just ordinary people who happened to be talented.

In other news, Phil Hay has predicted a summer departure for one player.