4th Dec 2023 • Written by Henry Swain

Killian Phillips: Crystal Palace's 1%

Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media via Getty Images.

Killian Phillips recently made headlines as he scored his first international goal for Ireland Under-21s in a 2-2 draw against Italy, adding to the excitement surrounding his future in the game. After two successive loan spells, will Phillips be involved at Palace by next season, or is he limited to the EFL? In this feature, we’ll address those questions with an in-depth analysis of his playstyle, career stats, and performances this season. Will the Irish youngster be in Crystal Palace’s 1%?

Phillips’ career so far…

Killian Phillips started his youth career at Kilbarrack United, where he played from 2011 to 2019. Drogheda United snapped him up, and after a brief spell in their youth teams, he broke into the first-team squad at nineteen - making thirty-one senior appearances, scoring twice, and assisting once. This was enough for Palace to take a chance on him, signing him for an undisclosed fee in January 2022. For the remainder of the 21/22 season, he played ten times in the Premier League 2, scoring one goal and impressing then-manager Paddy McCarthy.

Phillips began last season in the Palace U21 squad, making twelve appearances (in all competitions) with three goals and two assists. The January transfer window saw heavy interest in the midfielder, who opted to join Shrewsbury Town on a 6-month loan deal. For a first loan move, this was a great success. Phillips played twenty times for the Salopians, starting nineteen games as he scored three and assisted two, helping to guide his first temporary home to a 12th-place finish.

At the end of the season, he was rewarded with a new contract at Selhurst Park, earning himself a full-season loan to Wycombe for the current campaign. So far this term, he’s made seventeen League One appearances (eleven starts), scoring one goal. He has also registered a goal in the FA Cup and an assist in the EFL Trophy, playing in the same group as Crystal Palace's Under-21s.

Analysing Phillips’ performances…

Technically, Phillips is impressive. In a previous piece, I noted his ability to ‘be everywhere at once’. One minute he’d be clearing the ball off the line, and the next he was an option for a pulled-back cross in the opponent's box. It’s this part of his game that saw him described as a ‘game-changing signing’ by many Shrewsbury fans during his time there.

On the ball, it would be fair to describe Phillips as slightly above average. He has good technique when striking the ball, and this was shown when he scored in the FA Cup for Wycombe against Bradford City. Getting on the end of a headed-down pass, he smashed a volley practically through the keeper and into the net.

Against Reading in League One action, he took a beautiful first touch to chop onto his left foot before curling into the far left corner. Moments like this suggest he could make it to the top level if he were to become more consistent.

How does Phillips compare to Palace's midfielders?

How does Phillips compare with the current midfield options that Roy Hodgson has at his disposal at Selhurst Park? We’ve assessed some of the key stats for midfield players and compared Phillips to Will Hughes, Chieck Doucouré, and Jefferson Lerma.

Firstly, passing accuracy. It is important to note that across the entire playing squad, Wycombe (67.9%) average 13% less pass accuracy than Palace (80.9%). When lined up against the current Eagles roster, Phillips’ 72% is considerably less than all three Palace options, with Lerma being the closest at 82%.

Touches per 90 are also a good way to assess the actual involvement of a player in the game, and Phillips averages 24.6 touches. For context, this is 24 touches less than Will Hughes, Palace’s lowest-performing player in this metric. The level of football and style of play should be considered, but you’d have to question whether he could adapt to that difference in involvement.

Phillips makes 1.1 tackles per 90, which ranks last when compared to the Palace midfielders. Ball recoveries are the final key stat we analysed, and this could be the most damning for Phillips. According to SofaScore, he makes 1.9 per 90, which is worryingly lower than the average 6.1 recovered by each Palace midfielder.

What does this tell us? He is a competent player at League One level, and if anything is too good for that division, but perhaps Premier League football is a step too far.

Will he make it (at Palace)?

For his age, he has played a lot of first-team football, and there is a reason he isn’t with the Under-21s this season; it simply wouldn’t benefit his development to continue playing against academy-level players. He carries himself well and has a smart head on his shoulders, which means he will put his development first at every moment. This could be interesting in the coming years, as he could push for a permanent move if he feels his talent could be benefited elsewhere.

Missing out on a Championship loan was disappointing, especially when Phillips had already proved he could play at League One level. Spending an additional season in England’s 3rd tier could be seen as a slight stagnation in his development. At just twenty-one, Phillips is a long way off his ‘peak’, but he has a lot of work to do if he is to close the gap between himself and the current midfielders in Palace’s ranks.

Style-wise, Phillips is not the sort of player you see coming through Premier League academies, as his key attributes are far better suited to football in the lower divisions of English football. However, players such as Amadou Onana of Everton have proved there is still a place for taller box-to-box runners, and they can play a vital role if used correctly.

For Phillips to continue his progression, he would need a championship loan next season. By this time, he will be 22 years old, and if he is able to perform well at this level, there is a chance he could be staking a claim for a first-team spot in the 2025–26 season. However, if he were to find his level in the championship, he could very well depart on a permanent deal to ensure he plays regularly and is able to thrive.

The Irishman is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the remainder of this season at Wycombe, as it is that and whatever he does next year that will determine the likelihood of a future at Selhurst Park.

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