Kalvin Phillips has been named England‘s BT Player of the Year – and Declan Rice was the man chosen to present it to his fellow midfielder.
The pair made up a superb partnership during Euro 2020. Both men started every game as England reached the final.
Phillips was awarded the man of the match award for his display in the opening game against Croatia, in which he assisted Raheem Sterling for the match’s only goal.
Both Rice and Phillips would consistently impress throughout the tournament with their passing, ball winning and work rate amongst many more attributes.
Phillips has established himself as one of England’s key cogs since his first cap last year, with Rice already a first-choice starter prior to the tournament kicking off.
Phillips’s performances during the Euros in particular led to him receiving the Player of the Year award from his midfield partner.
In a touching video, Rice explained that he was going to “surprise” Phillips with the award at St George’s Park.
When he did present it, the West Ham midfielder told Phillips that he was “buzzing” for him.
He said: “Mate, fully deserved. Unbelievable. And as your fellow midfield partner, I had to come and present it to you.”
Phillips replied: “I can’t believe it. I thought you were going to do something to me, that’s why I stepped away!”
Rice and Phillips will have the opportunity to resume their midfield partnership when England take part in three World Cup qualifiers in the next week.
They travel to Budapest to take on Hungary on Thursday, before hosting Andorra at Wembley on Sunday.
Gareth Southgate‘s side conclude the upcoming international period with a trip to Poland next Wednesday.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
