Revealed: Pep Guardiola made famous Kalvin Phillips ‘overweight’ comment to ‘send a message’ - with ex-Leeds midfielder actually in shape following World Cup exit

Phillips was left out of City's Carabao Cup matchday squad that faced Liverpool in December 2022 as Guardiola felt that he was in no shape to play. When asked about Phillips by the press, Guardiola explained: "He's not injured. He arrived overweight. I don't know [why]. He didn't arrive in the condition to do training sessions and to play."

However, according to The Athletic, the midfielder was hardly above the threshold weight, and many others had returned from Qatar having gained a few extra pounds.

According to The Athletic, Guardiola's comments against Phillips to the media were used to "send a message", as the coach felt the need to hand a jolt to the player. The report adds that the manager fired a similar warning to the entire City workforce as he felt that they were being complacent following the international tournament. He had made his feelings known for months behind closed doors and was forced to voice his concerns publicly, as he saw no tangible change in the attitude of the organisation.

Less than a week after firing shots at Phillips, Guardiola joked that Phillips "has the perfect body, so sexy". But the midfielder revealed that the criticism was "hard to take" and went on to insist that he "was fit for every game since then."

After almost 18 months of despair at Etihad, Phillips will hope to revive his career with West Ham under the guidance of David Moyes, having completed a six-month loan move on Friday. He is likely to make his Hammers' debut in a Premier League home fixture against Bournemouth on February 1.