Phillips: I'm here to compete

The 19-year-old midfielder, a summer recruit from Wycombe, stepped off the substitutes' bench to find the net in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Blackburn. He admits it was a special moment just to get selected, while to mark his first appearance with a goal felt 'unbelievable'. "It was a dream coming on. Luke Varney played the ball through. My first touch was to control it and I scored with my second," he told the Blackpool Gazette. "Every kid dreams of scoring in the Premier League and to make your mark is massive. "When the gaffer told me to get changed and go on I was buzzing. I've been here a few weeks but that was my first game. "I didn't make the bench at Chelsea, so to go from that to coming on and scoring a Premier League goal feels unbelievable." Phillips' goal looked set to seal a draw for Blackpool and he confesses it was disappointing to see Rovers net a late winner. "I love scoring goals," he added. "If we had held on for the draw it would have meant more. It was a sickener conceding at the end." Phillips is now looking forward to the trip to Anfield this weekend and hopes to feature again. He accepts there is fierce competition for places at Bloomfield Road but is ready for the challenge and keen to build on such a promising start. "I know there are players ahead of me but I am here to compete. I'll try to get into the squad for Liverpool and then we'll take it from there," he explained.