West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek has defended Manchester City loanee Kalvin Phillips following a poor start to life at the London Stadium.
Following his loan move from Manchester City in January, Phillips is yet to hit the ground running for the Hammers.
He is yet to last the full 90 minutes in any of the six Premier League games he has played in a West Ham shirt and was even guilty of unintentionally setting up Dominic Solanke’s goal in the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth in his very first match for David Moyes’ team.
Soucek though believes that it is only natural for the England international to find it tough initially after his stint with Manchester City and says all the West Ham players are backing him to get back into form.
“I see him every day perform in the sessions”, Soucek told a press conference.
“It’s very difficult for him after his time at Manchester City, and for every player who has not played in time it is difficult to play in the games.
“It’s difficult for him but we all support him. We are with him. He’s a really hard worker.
“I like his style and wish all the best for the future because he’ll be an important player for us. I see him in training and he is a good player.”
With Phillips struggling to make an impact at West Ham, the Hammers could well be unlikely to try to keep him on a permanent basis in the summer.
