Leeds United managing director Angus Kinnear says Kalvin Phillips' love for the club meant he made an 'absolutely crazy financial decision' to stay with the club this summer.
Academy graduate Phillips has been one the key cogs in Marcelo Bielsa's title-winning machine, taking giant strides under the Argentine that has seen him linked with a potential England call-up.
As well as getting on Gareth Southgate's radar, Phillips' impressive form over the past two seasons has attracted Premier League attention, with three sides putting in offers last summer, including an Aston Villa bid thought to be more than £25million.
But the 24-year-old rejected these overtures, signing a new five-year contract with the club last September in the hope of getting his hometown side back to the Premier League.
These dreams have now been realised, with Kinnear using Phillips of an example of loyalty that is so rare in the modern game.
"Everybody wants to play for Leeds in the Premier League," Kinnear said shorlty after Leeds were confirmed as champions on Saturday afternoon. "Last year it was a bit more challenging.
"If you wanted an example of what makes this club truly special, it's very difficult to talk about club loyalty existing in football nowadays. I don't think it exists. But it existed with Kalvin Phillips.
"Kalvin Phillips made an absolutely crazy financial decision to stay with Leeds United for another year. It made no sense. But he did it because he believed in the club. He loves the club. And he wanted to take us back where we belong.
"We asked him to give us one more year and you'll be playing for Leeds United in the Premier League."
The club have kept their word to the Thorp Arch product, with West Brom's Friday night defeat to Huddersfield Town sealing promotion before Brentford's loss at Stoke handed Leeds the Championship title
