Premier League star makes obscene hand gesture at own travelling supporters after dramatic loss

West Ham United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has come under fire after he was caught on camera giving the middle finger to his own supporters after a dramatic 4-3 loss against Premier League rivals Newcastle United.

The defeat comes as a huge blow to West Ham’s European hopes and marks yet another setback in Phillips’ quest to make England’s Euro 2024 squad.

The 28-year-old was brought on as a substitute with just 21 minutes left to play with his side boasting a healthy 3-1 lead against the North East club. 

But just minutes after coming on to the pitch, Phillips conceded a penalty for a foul on Anthony Gordon which was subsequently scored by Alexander Isak. That goal sparked a seismic change in the atmosphere of the stadium as a resurgent Newcastle fought back from behind after a dramatic double from substitute Harvey Barnes.

After the game, Phillips came under immense criticism from the West Ham faithful who were heard shouting “get out of our club” and “you’re useless” to the on-loan Manchester City midfielder, who has struggled for form since his arrival in January.

The video shared on social media, shows a fan shouting useless as Phillips gets on the team coach after the game. The 31-time England international is clearly seen through the windscreen raising his middle finger in the direction of the disgruntled fans. West Ham declined to comment on the incident when approached by Sky Sports on Sunday.

What’s gone wrong for Kalvin Phillips?

Kalvin Phillips is currently going through arguably the worst patch of form in his career. The move to West Ham was hoped to rejuvenate his England career after a run of just 16 appearances during two seasons at Manchester City.

The former Leeds player, who won England Men’s Player of the Year in 2021, has been in poor form since arriving in East London. 

On his home debut on 1 February, he made a costly error which allowed Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke to score after just three minutes.

On his next start, two weeks later, he was sent off for picking up two yellow cards in a defeat to Nottingham Forest. He has since been dropped from the most recent England squad due to poor form and has been largely limited to appearances from the subs bench.

With the emergence of Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo and the increasing importance of Connor Gallagher at Chelsea, it remains to be seen whether Phillips can turn his fortunes around in time for the Euro 2024 squad announcement in June.

West Ham face London rivals Tottenham in their next league match on 2 April as they look to get their European hopes back on track.