Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana sent Nathaniel Phillips a supportive message on Instagram after the 22-year-old joined Stuttgart on a season-long loan.
The Reds’ official website confirmed on Wednesday that Phillips had joined the German club on loan for the 2019/20 campaign after signing a new long-term contract with the Reds.
Phillips took to his personal Instagram account to celebrate his loan exit as well as his new Liverpool contract.
“Delighted to have extended my contract at @liverpoolfcand now to be spending this season on loan at @vfb. Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me along the way,” wrote the defender.
Upon seeing Phillips’ update, Lallana sent him a message in order to celebrate the centre-back’s good news and also informed him that he expects the 22-year-old to be able to speak fluent german upon returning to Melwood.
“Go on the big man! I expect fluent German on your return to Melwood,” wrote Lallana on his verified Instagram account.
OPINION
It’s so nice to see a senior player like Lallana take an interest in one of the Reds’ youngsters, as you feel that Lallana will likely be there for Phillips if he wants any advice on his career. The 22-year-old centre-back appears to have a bright future at Anfield, based on him signing a new long-term deal, even though he is yet to feature for the senior side in a competitive match. Hopefully, Phillips gets regular playing time with Stuttgart as they will help him improve as a player and perhaps get closer to breaking into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans. The 22-year-old played seven times in the Premier League 2 last season, and even managed to rack up a goal in his outings. However, he likely views his 2018/19 campaign as a disappointment as he did miss a large chunk of playing time due to an ankle injury (Source: official Liverpool website). Phillips has never tasted senior football, so you feel that’s what is needed to take his career to the next level, and hopefully his bad luck with injuries doesn’t strike again and he’s able to be a success at Stuttgart.
