“40,000 votes?” Phillips repeats, slightly stunned, as Rice surprises him with a BT-sponsored gold brick, recognition from England fans for a superb Euro 2020 campaign.
Had the proud Scotsman in David Moyes not prevented him from engaging in any such poll, it would surely have been 40,001.
Moyes had the Rice-Phillips partnership in mind when he made a club-record £50million bid to sign the latter from Leeds in January 2022, though his admiration by then was long-lived, the midfielder already on his radar by the time he returned for a second stint as West Ham boss late in 2019.
It has taken more than four years, a complete midfield revamp, the £105m sale of Rice and, for Phillips, a marked career downturn, but at last, Moyes has his man.
The 28-year-old today completed his switch from Manchester City on loan until the end of the season. It had been expected that the deal would include an option-to-buy, but that has been shelved for now after the clubs failed to agree terms.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 26, 2024 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 26, 2024 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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