Regardless of whether England see off Germany on Tuesday evening and however the Three Lions exit Euro 2020, Kalvin Phillips will emerge from the tournament with his reputation enhanced.
International audiences have now been privy to the kind of performances that have made the Thorp Arch graduate the beating heart of Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United side for the past three seasons.
His domination of the Croatia midifeld in England's tournament opener saw him dominate a genuine world-class talent in the shape of Luca Modric, adding the former Tottenham man's scalp to a list that included the likes of Fernandinho, Bruno Fernandes and Gini Wijnaldum over the closing weeks of the Premier League season, as Leeds upset the 'Big Six' apple cart during the run-in.
Tuesday night will see the 25-year-old go toe-to-toe with another of the planet's best central midfielders in the shape of Toni Kroos, a man who's medal haul includes five league titles, four Champions Leagues and a World Cup.
On paper, the 31-year-old will be one of Phillips' toughest opponents yet if he again gets the nod from Gareth Southgate, but the Leeds star insists there is more to the clash than what goes on between the two central midfielders.
"I've seen videos. He's been at a top level for so many years. It's going to be difficult," he said.
"[But] the game won't just revolve around Kroos. He is a major factor in how the team plays but it is more about England and how we play. I'm concentrating on defending against the whole team and neutralising as many people as possible."
Any England verus Germany fixture will come with lashings of narrative, with the two rivals' previous Wembley tournament clashes in 1966 and 1996 emblazoned on the nations' collective, but like his team-mates, Phillips is not wasting energy looking back.
"It's just another game for me," he added. "Regardless of whether we did well or we didn't in the past doesn't matter.
"It's about Tuesday."
