KILLIAN PHILLIPS admits he still doesn’t understand how he went from the Sunday League to the Premier League in just one year.
The midfielder on loan at Aberdeen had no idea of a career in professional football until a potential piece of advice to Drogheda replaced his life.
After just 30 games there, he signed through Crystal Palace and hasn’t looked back.
Phillips, who is part of the Republic of Ireland’s under-21 squad for tonight’s European Championship qualifier against San Marino, admits his immediate progress is in his hands.
The 21-year-old said: “I never played football seriously until I was 18. Until then, I was in the Sunday league.
“I was lucky enough to have come to Drogheda and then a year later I moved to Crystal Palace.
“I only played football with my friends because that was all that mattered to me. I wasn’t worried much else.
“A couple of guys I knew were playing with the under-19s in Drogheda and they were playing with me. They told their boss about me, I went in and signed.
“In less than a year I was in the first team and then I left and signed for Crystal Palace.
“It’s crazy how it went.
“Paddy came McCarthy. Es the head of the U21 team at Crystal Palace.
“He’s also from Dublin and he’s come.
“He was watching the games, he saw me and the rest is history. I don’t know if he was there to watch me, but he finished in one of the matches and he must have noticed it enough to let me know.
Phillips is grateful for what he had in the game.
He added: “I didn’t know what to do. I would have gone crazy.
“I had been in a structure for 40 minutes, but I left. It’s silly, it’s not for me and I said, ‘I don’t do that,’ so it’s football or nothing. “
“I managed to turn pro and if you look back now, it’s crazy. “
Meanwhile, Pittodrie legend and Scottish football hero Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken out about his unexpected love affair with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers on the Scottish Sun page
©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered Office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trade marks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided under News Group Newspapers’ Limited’s popular terms and situations in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. To inquire about a license to reproduce material, please visit our distribution site. Check out our online press kit. For other inquiries, please contact us. To view all of The Sun’s content, please use the site map. Sun’s website is regulated through the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO).
Our hounds try to be precise, but we make mistakes. For more key points about our grievance policy and to file a grievance, click here.