00:00Well, hello, I'm Nathan Duda, delighted to be joined by the returning West Brom reporter, Mr. Lewis Cox, looking a little bit more tanned than we last spoke.
00:09Lewis, Albion, back in training this week, back to hopefully getting out of this championship.
00:17But look, there's some good news, isn't there?
00:19Ryan Mason's first signing of the summer, and that is Mr. Nat Phillips, someone who you know very well indeed, Lewis.
00:26What do you make of the signing first?
00:29Hi, NF, yeah, good to be here.
00:31Well, first of all, I'm glad that Albion are kind of working on my summer rota, really, because we got the Ryan Mason appointment about a day before I went on my holes.
00:40And then I come back to my first shift back yesterday, and then we get the first signing.
00:44So it's nice of Albion to kind of park all business while I was away, really.
00:49But yeah, look, Nat Phillips, my personal opinion, I'm professional, really, but I think it's an excellent little pickup for Albion.
00:57And I do factor in everything and really the cost, as we understand it, you know, an initial £1 million outlay is not, you know, it's not Albion breaking the bank.
01:07You know, you're talking about a defender who is 28, and for a centre-half, that's someone around his peak years, isn't he?
01:13Or entering his peak years still.
01:15But I realise, look, for Liverpool, he's been on the fringes for a long time now.
01:19You know, it's a good four or five years, really, now, four years around the COVID time when he had a real run in the team under Jurgen Klopp.
01:26And it was a big, important figure for Liverpool, a successful one.
01:29But in the time since, you know, he's had loans, he's had loans at this level, five loans away from Liverpool in total.
01:35But a couple of the real prominent ones were with Bournemouth in the Championship, who he helped.
01:40It's strange to think only a couple of years ago, you know, Bournemouth were getting out of the Championship.
01:44They're such an established top out now, aren't they?
01:47But yeah, Nat Phillips played a role on loan there to get them up automatically, Scott Parker.
01:52And then more recently, last season, he was at Derby, which is the other end of the Championship spectrum, really, isn't it?
01:57Obviously, Derby had just come up and expected to be down there.
02:00And they were battling it.
02:01Obviously, they eventually had to appoint John Eustace.
02:04But Nat Phillips, you know, obviously watched him play a couple of times for them.
02:07But speaking to people in and around it, the Rams, he was a colossus.
02:11You know, he was essential to helping them stay up, which was a good effort for the Pride Park club as well.
02:16So, look, Phillips, yes, on the fringe at Liverpool, but comes with some good experience.
02:21He's a top-level pedigree.
02:23I think the fact that he's had several loans and it's not worked at his parent club for such a spell.
02:29And he sort of said it in the quotes he gave the club on his signing his three-year deal.
02:34I think it shows, you know, he wants to go somewhere and make his own career.
02:39You know, his Liverpool chapter's done and bar the 20 games he had in that season,
02:44it never looked like it was going to, you know, really take off again at that level.
02:47But now he has a place to really bed down, you know, make a new home, really, for himself professionally, his family.
02:54He said that and grow a rapport with the club and fans.
02:57And I see that coming.
02:58You know, I think most supporters know what Nat Phillips is about as a centre-half.
03:02You know, he's a dominant sort of stopper type who's going to win headers, who's going to make clearances.
03:06You know, he's 28, like I say.
03:07He doesn't rely on pace.
03:08He's not a quick centre-half, but it's the dominance that he brings.
03:13And I think he'll be, it was said in the quotes, I think, from Andrew Nesta, Alvin's sporting director,
03:19they referenced that leadership needed.
03:21And I think that was, you know, you read between the lines as well, that mention of the word leadership,
03:25perhaps, well, stronger than perhaps.
03:28You know, something Alvin have really lacked at times in the last couple of seasons.
03:32You know, we saw the back end of last season and the collapse under Tony Mulberry.
03:35But I think Phillips will be a big part in, you know, bringing some leadership to it.
03:39And you just look at the make-up of the defence.
03:41Obviously, Shemi Ajayi left, Alvin tried to retain him, but he moved on and since signed for Holt.
03:45Kyle Bartley's getting no younger, Nathan.
03:47He's turned 34 this summer.
03:49And, you know, they've got Hegem in there.
03:52You know, he's player of the season.
03:53There will be and there is interest in Hegem this summer.
03:56So, does he stay around?
03:57And then young Caleb Taylor.
03:58So, I think Nat Phillips really adds to that and sort of brings it all together at the heart of the defence
04:03and solves that problem, really.
04:05I think it's a really astute signing.
04:07You know, as I say, one million initial outlay.
04:09It can rise if add-ons are hit.
04:11I imagine there'll be the likes of, you know, appearances and everything like, you know, a promotion,
04:18which obviously Alvin are going for.
04:19Nat Phillips has said, look, it was the ambition of Premier League promotion here with Ryan Mason
04:23that made me want to really come here.
04:24So, look, that's what they're going for.
04:26We all know that.
04:27And, yeah, I'm really encouraged by the first signing of the Mason era and the summer.
04:32Yeah, I think it works well for the club.
04:33And like you say, Ryan Mason and Nat Phillips as well.
04:36It's someone who wants to, like I say, build a legacy for himself.
04:39I think being around Liverpool and being around world-class players for such a long time is going to be great for him
04:45and great, I think, going to Albion.
04:48But do you expect him and do you think he will have been given assurances coming to this club that he's going to be in,
04:53he's going to be his start, he's going to be alongside Hagem?
04:55This is someone who you're putting in and hoping he plays 40, 42 games out of the 46.
05:02Yeah, look, I think you're right there, to be honest.
05:04I mean, incidentally, as I speak next week, I believe and hope we're due to speak with Albion's new head coach.
05:11Obviously, I haven't had the chance to do press with him yet.
05:13And, you know, the likes of that we'll be able to ask him.
05:16But from what you sort of gather and read between the lines, it was Albion work on this model now that they've got a sporting director.
05:22They've got an Ian Pearce and you work at the top end of the recruitment-wise.
05:26But, look, a new head coach like Ryan Mason, of course, will be consulted on signings and have a say.
05:31So they'll work sort of together on that.
05:33And I think so, look, he's a player of pedigree for, you know, a signing of decent pedigree for Albion, I think.
05:39And, look, a financial outlay.
05:41I don't think they've brought Nat Phillips from Liverpool to warm the bench for more than half of the season.
05:47You know, I just don't see that at all.
05:49So, look, regular watchers and listeners to our part and readers will know I sort of value Kyle Bartley and what he can still bring to the championship.
05:59You know, a similar profile of defender to Phillips.
06:01But, let's be honest, he turned 34 this summer.
06:04You know, yes, he's got another 12 months if he stays at the club.
06:07But Albion have to manage his knee, you know, three games a week, finds problematic.
06:11He had a small surgery last, you know, we're at a time where really playing in excess of 30 games towards 40 games for Bartley is tough physically and not what Albion need.
06:23You know, so it's that moving on, isn't it?
06:25Bartley can still play a role, assuming he stays at the club.
06:27But I think Phillips is, you know, coming in to be a starter, I would absolutely say.
06:31Yeah, yeah. And look, we all hope Hagen stays on Albion and playing next season.
06:35Now, these times, the model of the club now, Hagen was signed for 500 grand last summer.
06:41Nobody really had heard of him, barring the, you know, scouts in football and recruitment and stuff.
06:46And it's a revelation.
06:48And, you know, what's he valued at now?
06:49He'd have a, you know, a tenfold value on that.
06:52And if business happens and Albion make a really significant profit on Hagen, yeah, if that was to happen later in the summer, that's the model, really.
06:59I know some might not want to hear that.
07:01And look, most, and I'm sure Albion want him to stay, but if they really make a significant profit on that, then it's down to, you know, you obviously use that to improve the club and get, you know, get a few more examples of that in and across the squad and stuff.
07:15So, but yeah, going back to your question there, yeah, Phillips, I see him as an important player for next season, I would say.
