Leinster Senior League to Republic of Ireland debut - 'Sacrifice as much as I did, you get the rewards'
THIS HAS ALREADY been a summer of a lifetime for Killian Phillips.
The 23-year-old became the first Dubliner from Kilbarrack to play for the senior men's team when he made his Republic of Ireland debut off the bench against Senegal on Friday night.
'That's something I can bring to the grave with me,' he said, speaking after one of his initial interviews with RTÉ went viral as viewers heaped praise on him (below).
"I don't just want to be a one-cap wonder"
Republic of Ireland debutant Killian Phillips speaks to @Corktod about the "proudest moment" of his life to date after coming on against Senegal #COYBIG #IRLSEN pic.twitter.com/HxoqKXjzrR — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 6, 2025
Phillips wants to get another taste of action away to Luxembourg on Tuesday night and then he can look forward to savouring a different kind of holiday destination to most of his St Mirren teammates.
'They are all away in the sun but there's no better place in the world than Kilbarrack, I will be back sleeping on my Ma's couch on Wednesday. It's Kilbarrack for me now, I might cross the Liffey a couple of times but that's my holidays, I just want to go home, see everyone and get ready for pre-season.'
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The corner of north Dublin means a lot to Phillips. At 17 he was representing Kilbarrack United in the Leinster Senior League, the club just a short walk from his home. Six years on he is a full international, the latest stop on an incredible journey after Drogheda United gave him his opportunity in the League of Ireland and Crystal Palace brought him to the UK.
Paddy McCarthy, now on Heimir Hallgrímsson's coaching staff, was his manager with the Premier League club's Under-23s. A loan spell with Shrewsbury Town was followed by a move to Scotland, where his emergence continued to the point that Hallgrímsson wanted to see the all-action midfielder up close and personal as plans for the World Cup qualifiers in September continue.
'I was turned down by League of Ireland clubs when I was 17 but that's football and the beauty of the game, there's no linear progression, you can do it whatever way you want, I was playing Sunday league at 17, I am here now and I'd hope to inspire a younger generation. Never give up and if you work as hard as I do, sacrifice as much as I did, you get the rewards,' Phillips said, reflecting further on breaking the glass ceiling for footballers from his area, one he is extremely proud of.
Phillips in action. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
'I think there was bleedin' 70 to 100 [from Kilbarrack] here. You probably heard them when I was coming on, the support that I get in my local area and from family and friends means the world to me, I have such a great support system, a lot of people who looked after me over the years, coached me, I have to thank all of them now.
'I'm sure I will be sitting in the pub in 20 or 30 years' time saying it to everyone who walks in. It means the world to me, and I hope it gives the kids in Kilbarrack something to look up to as well, that you don't have to go down the roads of… you know yourself, you know what goes on in Kilbarrack, you don't have to do that, if you have a dream and you work hard every day you can do it.
'I am just a kid from Kilbarrack whose dream came true and the kids at the club now [Kilbarrack United] have someone to look up to, it's easier now to dream that dream as someone has done it, I am so proud because my community backs me so much.'
Despite his combative approach on the pitch he admitted that he needed time to settle in to the new surroundings among more established internationals.
Phillips with manager Heimir Hallgrímsson. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
'I froze a bit at times, I was a bit nervous coming in, obviously a lot of players that I've watched over the years and supported in this stadium, I came to this stadium to support the boys. So I probably froze a bit during the week, I think out there I was calm, I had a couple of deep breaths when I first came on, I was probably a little overwhelmed when I first run on. I thought it was a decent performance, yeah.
'It's just a game of ball, and at the end of day, that's the way I look at it, every single game, my international debut or a Scottish Premiership game, that is my mentality every time, I just stripped it back and played another game of football.'
He told RTÉ that he didn't want to be 'a one-cap wonder' and can now turn attention to Luxembourg on Tuesday.
'I'd love to start and play more minutes, build on the performance against Senegal, if that's starting or off the bench I just want to build on it and show that I can play international football and stay in his (the manager's) mind for the World Cup qualifiers in the autumn.'
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