Former Wanderers youngster Nat Phillips has joined Championship side Derby on a season-long loan from Liverpool.

Phillips progressed through the Whites’ youth ranks before heading to Liverpool in the summer of 2016.

The 27-year-old defender has made 29 first-team appearances for the Merseyside club, scoring once.

He returns to the Championship after spending the second half of last season at Cardiff, playing 18 times as the Welsh outfit finished 12th in the table.

Phillips has also had spells at Bournemouth and Celtic in recent years, as well as a stint in Germany with Stuttgart.

The centre-back now joins Paul Warne’s Derby squad as the Rams aim to build on last season’s promotion from League One.

Warne’s side have taken three points from their opening three matches back in the second tier, with defeats against Blackburn and Watford either side of a victory against Middlesbrough.

Phillips told the club site: “There’s just excitement. I've spent a bit of time here now meeting all the staff and everyone seems really friendly, and the facilities are top level.

“There are a lot of wheels in motion and a lot of things sort of turning and changing. But obviously, I'm really glad to have managed to get this done in time.

“For most of the day, I was sitting by the phone waiting for the updates and just making sure that everything was getting done and waiting until I could get in the car and drive down here.”

He added: “I've had two separate stints in the Championship, but both six-month or half-season spells. So, it's nice to come here on a longer-term basis with the full season ahead of me.

“I've played a number of games in the league now, so I know the challenges it can bring and what to expect and I'm looking forward to that.”