Nat Phillips becomes Albion’s first summer signing having gained a wealth of experience during his time at reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.
The centre-back’s switch to The Hawthorns is the first permanent one of his senior career and, following two progressive loan spells in the Sky Bet Championship, he arrives in B71 to bolster Head Coach Ryan Mason’s defensive options going into the new season.
Born in Bolton, Phillips was a part of his hometown team’s youth setup up until 2016 - following his father, Jimmy, in starting out at Wanderers.
But his career almost went in a very different direction as, having impressed in the Lancashire outfit’s youth ranks, the centre-half was presented with a four-year scholarship programme in the USA to continue his development.
However, a successful trial on Merseyside meant Nat was offered the chance to join Liverpool’s Under-18s - an opportunity too good to turn down, with the defender spending the next nine years of his life at Anfield.
During his time at the current English champions, Phillips proved his leadership credentials in the Reds’ academy ranks - skippering the U23s and impressing the club’s hierarchy which, eventually, led to him earning a new four-year contract in 2019.
A key figure of those encouraged by Nat’s progress was Premier League-winning coach, Jürgen Klopp.
The former Liverpool boss saw the 2019/20 campaign as a big year for the centre-half, loaning him out to German outfit Stuttgart to gain regular minutes in senior football.
Still, a defensive crisis at home meant the defender was recalled for a short period and, during this time, Phillips made his long-awaited competitive debut for the Reds - playing the full 90 in a third-round Emirates FA Cup triumph over local rivals Everton.
Nevertheless, Nat returned to Central Europe to help Stuttgart earn promotion back to the Bundesliga - making 22 appearances and playing an important role in his first major success on the first-team stage.
Confidence grew from Phillips’ senior bow, as a maiden top-flight outing against West Ham United in October 2020 followed while, in the same month, the 6ft 3in defender also took his first steps into European football against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League.
The 20/21 campaign helped get Nat’s first-team career going, and evidence of this confidence showed in the 21/22 season when the centre-back featured in AFC Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League.
A half-term loan spell on the south coast added another promotion to Phillips’ already-growing CV, and stints at Celtic, Cardiff City and, more recently, Derby County between 2023-2025 helped Nat’s first-team appearances surpass beyond 120.
Phillips’ time in the East Midlands was one of his most-involved campaigns in the senior game, providing success in a different form as, across 33 matches in all competitions, the centre-back helped the Rams turn the 24/25 season around.
Results had left County in a relegation battle for much of the campaign, but Nat was a mainstay in their defensive backline and featured in the vital season run-in which saw Derby confirm their place in England’s second tier.
Now, with a plethora of Championship experience to his name, Phillips will be keen to exhibit his knowhow at this level and help Albion push towards the top end of the division during the 25/26 campaign.
