Sandy • At home in Jamaica, waiting for his move to Real Salt Lake to be finalized, Demar Phillips received a phone call from his soon-to-be new club. The voice on the other line scrolled through the list of available jersey numbers for the left back expected to replace longtime defender Chris Wingert.
When the 31-year-old Jamaican started his professional career as a 19-year-old at Waterhouse FC in Kingston, it was as No. 12. It continued to be No. 12 in his move to Stoke City of the English Premier League. It was No. 12 with the Jamaican national team. But when he left Stoke in 2009 to move to the Norwegian first division, the No. 12 was dedicated to the fan base.
He went with No. 17 in Norway, the same number Wingert wore in his eight seasons manning the left side of the back line for RSL. Once the list of numbers were revealed to Phillips, he opted for consistency. Sure, the number stays the same, but Phillips' signing this offseason at RSL was both to replace Wingert and also provide a more consistent threat the club lacked in recent years: speed.
"With the attributes that he has, bringing that element of attacking dynamic, getting the ball down and whipping [crosses] in and getting back on defense, he's going to create a lot of headaches and a lot of problems for teams in MLS," said RSL assistant Tyrone Marshall, who began playing with Phillips on Jamaica's national team, the Reggae Boyz, in 2005.
He joins RSL after six seasons at Aalesunds FK in Norway, where he won two league titles after winning one at Waterhouse FC in 2006. Phillips has 62 caps with the Reggae Boyz in nine years since making his national team debut at 22.
The segue to MLS ended the chapter of his career in Europe after initially making a leap from the Jamaican first division to what was eventually the English Premier League at age 23. Not many Jamaicans had made that kind of quick ascent, Phillips explained, leaving him in a brief state of culture shock. Despite being part of Stoke's promotion to the EPL in his first year at the club, he made four appearances in three seasons.
"When I went to Stoke, I learned a lot. I learned how to be aggressive. … I wasn't playing so much, so that's what it [taught] me," he said. "Outside of football, it taught me to be a man."
After six successful seasons in Norway, Phillips said the positive vibes at Aalesunds FK took a dip. He decided he wanted to play closer to Jamaica, admittedly saying he didn't know he would end up at RSL.
"But here I am," he said.
A nagging hamstring strain suffered this preseason in Tucson, Ariz., sidelined Phillips off and on for nearly two months. He's made four appearances in 2015, starting three games and showcasing his ability to dash forward and diversify RSL's attack.
"He looks 21," RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland said, "but he's 31."
Marshall said Phillips' composed demeanor off the pitch is opposite to the way his old national team teammate tackles training and game days, and that's noticeable when Phillips discusses his excitement about representing the Reggae Boyz at this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup as well as vying for a spot in the Western Conference playoff picture with RSL.
"It's just that environment that we grew up in Jamaica: You have to earn your keep, so when you do come out to work, it's time to work, and off the field, that's your leisure time to calm down and just get away from the game," Marshall said. "Once he's off the field, he's kind of chill, but when he comes on the field, man, it's lace up your cleats and go."
RSL's new No. 17 embraces both sides.
"That's me," Phillips added. "I like to relax. No stress, no hassle when I'm off the pitch. When I go over that [white] line, it's different."
ckamrani@sltrib.com
Twitter: @chriskamrani
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