Nathaniel Phillips has joined Derby County on loan for the remainder of the 2024-25 season on transfer deadline day.
Phillips, who has made 29 senior appearances for Liverpool, returns to the Championship after spending the latter half of last season on loan at Cardiff City.
The 27-year-old has also had previous loan spells with VfB Stuttgart, AFC Bournemouth, and Celtic.
Paul Warne’s Rams’ next match is on Saturday afternoon when they host Bristol City.
Ben Osborn, Kayden Jackson, Jerry Yates, Kenzo Goudmijn, Ebou Adams, David Ozoh, Rohan Luthra, Jacob Widell Zetterstrom, and Tawanda Chirewa were among the early arrivals this summer.
Phillips began his career at Bolton Wanderers’ youth academy before joining Liverpool in 2016 following a successful trial.
He quickly became a crucial part of Liverpool’s youth setup, gaining valuable experience with their Under-21s in Premier League 2 across the 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2018/19 seasons.
His performances caught the eye of then-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp during several pre-season training camps, leading to a new contract ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Phillips was subsequently loaned out to VfB Stuttgart in the German second tier for the season.
He was recalled midway through the season due to an injury crisis at Liverpool and made his debut in a Merseyside derby against Everton, where he played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory.
He returned to Stuttgart for the remainder of the season, making a total of 22 appearances.
Back at Liverpool for the 2020/21 season, Phillips made 20 appearances in all competitions, including his Premier League and UEFA Champions League debuts.
He also scored his first career goal in a 3-0 win over Burnley.
In the first half of the 2021/22 season, Phillips made three appearances for Liverpool before moving on loan to AFC Bournemouth in the Sky Bet Championship.
He played 18 times during the second half of the season, contributing to the Cherries’ promotion to the Premier League.
He returned to Anfield for the 2022/23 season, making five appearances and starting in the Carabao Cup Round Three tie against Derby County.
During the 2023/24 season, Phillips went on loan twice in search of more playing time.
He spent the first half of the season at Celtic, where he made eight appearances and helped the team secure the Scottish Premiership title.
He then had an 18-game stint with Cardiff City in the Championship.
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