Why Hull City goalkeeper and ex-Rotherham United and Charlton Athletic man is not bemoaning his Championship lot

The only injury he has been in danger of suffering is bench splinters in fairness, with the back-up Tigers goalkeeper not managing so much as a minute of league action in the club's opening 39 league games of 2025-26 before his promotion for the appointment at Oxford United.

Many in Phillips' shoes would bemoan their lot. It is to the 30-year-old's credit that he hasn't - and this isn't just him saying the right things either.

The Essex-born custodian knew what he was walking into when he joined Hull last summer after leaving Rotherham United at the end of his contract.

Much like when he headed to the Millers in the 2023 close season, Phillips faced a huge task to usurp an established and accomplished number one in the first team. For Viktor Johansson in South Yorkshire, read Ivor Pandur in East Yorkshire.

Phillips, who started all three of the Tigers' cup games in 2025-26, finally got his chance at league level after Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic elected to rest Pandur.

He only linked up with his club-mates at their hotel in Oxford last Thursday afternoon following his international duties with Croatia.

Phillips performed admirably at the Kassam Stadium - and was one of the Tigers' better performers in a 1-1 draw. That didn't stop Jakirovic confirming straight after the game than Pandur would return for the Easter Monday home game with Coventry City.

For Phillips, there is perspective and not just because of who he is competing with either.

Given developments around the time that he joined, he could hardly have envisaged being part of a club who would be in the promotion mix in 2025-26.

Hull were hit with a transfer embargo by the English Football League. It was subsequently lifted, but Hull were still subject to transfer fee restrictions for the next three windows.

It was subsequently reduced to two following an appeal last August. Given events, few would have ventured that Hull would be in the top-six mix for most of the season.

There's also the context of the previous campaign when Hull escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth to consider.

Phillips knows a fair bit about survival missions from his time at Rotherham and Charlton Athletic. He also had a tough time battling against the drop during a loan spell in Belgian crisis club Ostende in 2022-23.

The capricious nature of Championship life is such that Hull's fight is now at the top end of the table and not the bottom. Philips may have been on the periphery, but he sees the bigger picture.

He said: "The group are great. The group of goalies work hard every day and push each other.

"And it's the same with the outfield lads. It's such a great atmosphere. It's such a good place to be.

"The training ground is quite tight knit and that makes for a successful environment so far.

"It's hard for me when I realise the struggles of last year (here) and I think of this group. This atmosphere just seems so good and positive.

"I can't see how that happened (last season), but it happened.

"I've been part of things like that myself and you can get yourself stuck in a bit of a rut. But it's a good group with good people here and I'm really enjoying my time.

"I'm enjoying being part of it. It's only been a little part of it, but I feel a big part of it, day to day.

"I've had seasons where I've played every single game and every single minute.

"I've played a full season in the Championship and not given anyone else a chance. And then I've had seasons where I've sat on the bench as a youngster and not had an opportunity all season.

"It's difficult. But you just have to be ready and you just have to train well. I'm a massive believer in being a good person and I feel like I can do that around the training ground. For me, that's as important as playing on a Saturday."

Phillips speaks with the good sense of a seasoned team man and professional who has seen plenty. He had his place in the sun - or should that be wind - on a blustery day in Oxford.

If Jakirovic calls on him again this spring, Phillips is unlikely to let him down.

On being told he would be playing on Good Friday, he continued: "I slept like a baby.

"I always do. I don't struggle to sleep, thankfully. Maybe after a mistake or something, you can struggle.

"I slept fine and I was up and ready and raring to go.

"I didn't even think about the conditions all week, really. I was just over the moon to be getting a chance. And then as we were warming up, I was thinking: ‘how about that (weather), how's your luck?’ Your first game and you've got to deal with that.

"I think it kept me concentrated and switched on."