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# Impressive part of Ashley Phillips Boro outing pleasantly surprised Kim Hellberg

- **Source:** 
- **Published:** 7 Sept
- **Club:** Middlesbrough
- **Original URL:** https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/impressive-part-ashley-phillips-middlesbrough-34578858

The centre-back, who joined Boro from Tottenham this summer, started his first game at QPR after a period of building his fitness after a limited pre-season.

He completed 70 minutes at Loftus Road, playing a massive part in Boro’s dominant first-half performance, and also their clean sheet of the new Championship campaign. It ensured they picked up a 1-0 win.

His move to Boro followed a two-year loan spell at Stoke City, in which the centre-back gained valuable second-tier experience - albeit while playing a more direct style at the bet365 Stadium.

After his full Boro debut though, Hellberg said: “The most impressive thing with him I think was his first 45 minutes with the ball - very, very good. It was a different Ash that I have seen from when I have scouted him.

“I know you can see the technique, but his work and his efforts to adapt… he's a very clever boy, which means you can see how good he was on the ball.

“It’s always a worry with a player that’s maybe played more direct in the past. Then you can see in the second half how he tired a little bit and then you fall back and open up your body a bit more, so we get a little bit more stuck on the right side, which forced us also to go a little bit longer and we did get a little bit stuck.

“So I think that's for him to keep improving. But the first 45 minutes with the ball, and off the ball, was brilliant. He kept being very, very good off the ball through the whole game.

“That is a boy that's going to be very good. He needs some time to develop more physically, and working with the things we need him to do. But I love working with him.”

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But after a limited pre-season at Spurs before his switch to Teesside, Hellberg has been cautious with how quickly he’s thrown the 21-year-old in.

Asked why he felt Phillips was finally ready on Saturday, the Boro boss explained: “We pushed Ash knowing that he cannot play 90 minutes, but we still need to try to start somewhere.

“It's a difficult time to train because we cannot train in terms of the amount you want. You have to balance and do things differently because there are so many games.

“I think it was time for Ash to play; we have prepared him through the Doncaster and Burnley games, and now he is ready to play a little bit more.”

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