Former Liverpool midfielder Adam Phillips is going to get the chance to play in front of a full house at Anfield for the first time on Monday, as his Barnsley side face the Reds in the FA Cup
Former Liverpool midfielder Adam Phillips is set to go up against his boyhood club on Monday(Image: Getty Images)
Playing in front of a sold-out Anfield is a dream that most boyhood Liverpool fans want to achieve at least once in their life. From Michael Robinson to Trey Nyoni and others, including Steven Gerrard in between, only a select group have had the privilege to walk out at the home of the Reds with a full house in attendance.
Now, Adam Phillips is set to become the latest Liverpool supporter to fulfil his dream and play at a packed Anfield for the first time. Phillips, 27, who spent eight years in the academy at Melwood before leaving in 2017, is now at Barnsley, with the League One outfit set to face Arne Slot’s side in the FA Cup third round tonight (Monday).
“I think it’ll be massive for me,” Phillips said. “I have never actually played at Anfield in front of a full crowd. I played there a couple of times with the under-21s and stuff like that.
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“So, yeah, an amazing occasion. Just walking out at the start of the game, listening to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. It’ll be iconic. And it’ll be sort of a bit of a pinch-myself moment. But one I’m really looking forward to with my family and friends. I just can’t wait for it and to hopefully nick a goal or something like that would be nice.”
“It’s a very special moment,” Phillips added. “I think I’ve got like 25 to 30 tickets, so quite a lot. Everyone wanted to be there and watch. It’ll be a special occasion, and like I say, at the start of the game when the anthem’s on and hopefully throughout the game, it’s a great atmosphere. It’s just one I can’t wait for and I’m looking forward to.”
During his time with Liverpool, Phillips progressed through the age groups and into the under-21s but never made a single senior appearance. He trained with the first team on a number of occasions, with Brendan Rodgers including him as part of his pre-season squad in 2014.
With that, Phillips trained alongside his idol, Gerrard. “I think going up and training with the first team, there was a lot of quality players there,” Phillips continued. “But I think for myself, when you go there, you’re always looking at the likes of Gerrard being my idol, playing in a similar position at the time.
“Yeah, all I can say is that he was obviously great with the young lads and great with myself whenever I went up there. Just showed the standards that you needed to be at the highest level and what he was his whole career. So, it was obviously amazing to train with him and be in the same environment as himself.”
It wasn’t just Gerrard that Phillips was impressed by. “I think he’d just signed, not long, (Philippe) Coutinho,” Phillips admitted, when asked if there were any other players that stood out in training.
“I think he was playing in the first team, but he wasn’t obviously what he went on to be. Just coming up against him when he got the ball, he was just so sharp, could move it, like shift it and shoot really quick. When we played the mini games, you always wanted him to be on your team.”
After departing the Reds at the end of his contract in 2017, he spent time at Norwich, Morecambe, Cambridge, Hamilton, Burnley and Accrington Stanley before moving to Barnsley in 2022.
Reflecting on his time at Liverpool, Phillips said: “Coming through the academy, travelling around the world with the club, going to different tournaments, different experiences. Having that chance to train with the first team and being around that sort of environment was massive. And for myself, being a Liverpool fan was a sort of surreal moment. But I loved my time there and very grateful for it.”
Phillips has spent the last three-and-a-half years at Barnsley, scoring 36 times and providing 25 assists in 157 appearances across all competitions. He has enjoyed some special moments at the Yorkshire club, but playing against his childhood club is one that is going to rank right up there.
“It’s a great time,” Phillips remarked. “Like you say, a massive time for the club, the players, the players’ families and the fans and stuff like that. It’s one I’m really looking forward to and can’t wait for it.”
Fifty-seven places separate Barnsley and Liverpool in the English football pyramid, with the Tykes down in 17th in League One and Arne Slot’s Reds fourth in the Premier League.
Despite that gap, Phillips doesn’t see why the third-tier side can’t cause a shock and give the Reds a real run for their money. “Obviously, they’re going to be massive favourites,” Phillips said.
“But just to go there and give it a good shot, put a performance on and hopefully, like you say, it’d be nice to nick a goal and maybe go in front and give us something to hang on to.
“We’re confident that we can go there and put a show on, put a performance on and give it our best and we’re not just going to go there and expect to get beat. We’re going to give it the right go and hopefully the magic of the FA Cup will be there on Monday night.”
“I think it’s always great to test yourself against top opposition, in a massive stadium as well and a big crowd and hopefully a good atmosphere,” Phillips finished.
“So hopefully the magic of the FA Cup is with us on Monday night. And, yeah, we’ll all be looking forward to it and give it our best shot and see what happens.”
