KALVIN Phillips, a professional footballer, has just finished the most momentous year of his career, which includes a transfer to Manchester City for a fee of £46 million, participation in the World Cup for England, and a season in which Manchester City won all three major trophies.

But he is well aware that the odds were stacked against his becoming a superstar because of the fact that his father was incarcerated and that he grew up in poverty.

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Mark Phillips, who has been in and out of prison for violent and drug-related crimes throughout Kalvin’s existence, is currently serving a 12-year sentence.

He has missed his son’s meteoric ascent from academy player as a teenager to Premier League and England glory.

Now, the former Leeds midfielder has revealed in the new Amazon Prime documentary Kalvin Phillips: The Road To City how growing up on a poor housing estate as the firstborn of four children made him determined to achieve success.

Kalvin, age 27, explains, “My drive is likely due to the absence of a father figure in my life.”

“I’ve always wanted my mother to be pleased of me.

“Father was in and out of jail.

It affected our relationship because we weren’t able to see him frequently.

I desire a stronger relationship with him.

When he left, we knew he wouldn’t be returning for some time, which was the worst part.

Kalvin was born a triplet; however, one of the two females did not survive.

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Lindsay Crosby, who went on to have a second daughter and a junior son, worked two jobs to support her family.

She worked at a cash-and-carry from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., cooked dinner for her four children, and then worked at a pizza delivery service from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Lindsay also did her best to conceal the truth about their father from the children.

She explains in the documentary, “I tried to hide a lot of things from the children because I didn’t want them to believe it was okay.

“I used to say he had gone to work because I didn’t want them to believe his behavior was typical.”

The football player visits the home in Armley, Leeds, where he resided until he was 21 years old, as well as the field where he played for his first team, Wortley, from the age of eight until he was recruited to Leeds Academy at the age of 14.

Best friend Liam Duggan recalls Kalvin’s father cheering for his team during indoor periods.

According to him, he would be on the sidelines smoking marijuana and uttering various things.

“Kalvin held his father in high regard.

“He was the alpha figure, and when he was not present, Kalvin assumed that position.”

Kalvin was signed by Leeds United at the age of 19, made his professional début in 2015, and has since become one of the club’s most accomplished players.

A 40-foot mural of the athlete painted by street artist Akse P19 appeared in the city center of Leeds in 2020.

“It’s emotional driving through town and seeing that large mural of his face,” says sister Jade Charlton.

“It’s insane. It makes me feel proud.”

Mark followed his son’s career with pride while incarcerated, and the two spoke by phone every two weeks.

In a 2020 interview with The Times, Kalvin recalled, “He called me a few weeks after we were promoted and said, ‘Listen to this’.

“Everyone waiting for a phone call in prison was there, singing and pounding on the walls to the Leeds anthem Marching On Together. It was insane.”

However, as Kalvin honed his football abilities, he did not inform his teammates that his father was incarcerated in Wealstun Prison, just yards from the Leeds training facility.

Upon revealing that he has not seen his father in seven years, he stated, “It was odd, because every time I drove by it, I thought of him.

“When I was younger, I didn’t want to speak about it, but now it’s like, ‘Yeah, my dad’s in prison. It is not that significant.”

After his transfer to Manchester City, Kalvin and his childhood sweetheart Ashleigh Behan moved into a luxurious penthouse condominium overlooking the club’s Etihad Stadium.

In the documentary, he says, “I never imagined I’d be so fortunate as to live in a house like this, especially when compared to where I grew up.”

However, the program reveals that he dislocates his shoulder 30 minutes into his first game for City, and that during his seven-week recuperation, he begins to think about his father.

He declares, “He’s been there so long.

“I don’t want him to believe he has nothing when he comes out, especially considering how well we’ve performed and how well I’ve performed.

“When my father comes out, I just want to have a better relationship with him so that he doesn’t feel left out.”

Kalvin admits his remorse for seven years of non-visitation to Mark in prison.

He explains, “I could have done more to see my father, but I’m extremely busy, and to be fair, he doesn’t want us to visit him because he doesn’t want us to see him in prison and he doesn’t want us to be in the environment.

“My grandmother is the only reason I’m here.”

“Obviously he’s made some poor choices, but I don’t condemn him for them because I’ve heard about his difficult upbringing.

My father has told me that he was ethnically abused frequently when he was younger.

The eight-million-pound-per-year Manchester City player also visits the grave of his beloved grandmother, “Granny Val,” who helped nurture him and his three siblings.

Due to lockdown, the family was not permitted to visit her in hospital in person, but they were permitted to make video conversations prior to her passing two years ago.

Kalvin says: “I mourn my nan every day.

“I probably owe Granny Val everything I have right now.

“I recall uttering ‘we love you’ to her as she struggled to breathe in the hospital while we visited her.

“Everyone on that call was very emotive.

“We knew it would be the last time we saw our grandmother’s visage.

“I would give away all of my money to spend another hour with her.”

“She’s the only reason why I’m here.”

Throughout the hour-long, one-year-long special, Kalvin appears approachable as he chats with supporters and poses for selfies outside the Etihad Stadium.

He says, “I was a very timid child, but I was starstruck whenever I asked anyone for an autograph, even if they said no.

Because I recall what it was like to be a child, I will go out of my way to sign an autograph or pose for a photograph if asked.

Shortly after being labeled “overweight” by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and left out of the Carabao Cup match against Liverpool in December, Kalvin returns to his native turf of Elland Road in Leeds.

Leeds supporters ridicule him by chanting, “You’re too fat to play for Leeds.”

However, while many Premier League players may have reacted negatively to the slur, Kalvin beams and applauds the crowd for their jeers.

Liam, a childhood friend, maintains that fame and fortune have not changed his mind.

He states, “Kalvin has incredible talent and he came from nothing.

“He earned what he has, and he has never changed.

This is an excellent example for children who wish to follow in his footsteps.

After a shaky start at City, he is rumored to be on the move again before next season, possibly to replace Declan Rice at Arsenal after his move from West Ham.

However, wherever he is playing in two years, he will be on the lookout for a very special fan.

Kalvin visits his father in prison for the first time in seven years at the conclusion of the documentary, and he is eager to make amends when Mark is released.

“He’s only got two years left in prison, and he’s told me precisely what he wants to do when he’s released: come watch football, which is something I can assist him with.

It will be pleasant because I have not seen him in such a long time.