MATT Phillips may have been a frustrated spectator at Wembley Stadium when QPR played Derby County in the Play-Off Final in May, but missing out through injury didn’t stop him rightly enjoying the moment when Rangers won 1-0 to make an immediate return to the Premier League.





The former Blackpool man was one of the most excited players on the pitch after the final whistle as the QPR bench stormed onto the Wembley turf to celebrate, and Phillips told www.qpr.co.uk that the bond formed as a result of that experience is still very-much in place within the R’s dressing room.





“That Final was such a great day,” he says with a smile. “It was a brilliant finish from Bobby (Zamora), and the boys out there did themselves and the club proud.





“There are still a lot of players here who were here last year, and Niko (Kranjcar) has come back too, so the nucleus of that group remains. The players that have come in have just added to it.”





Despite a staggering 21 players leaving the club during the summer transfer window, it’s interesting to note that six of the starting line-up against Sunderland last weekend were at the club last season.





Harry Redknapp has brought in ten new faces to bolster the squad, and Phillips said: “The gaffer has brought in some very good players, and there’s competition for places all over the pitch. But it’s a good group we’ve got here.





“The boys are already digging deep to make sure we get what we want, which is to stay up.





“It’s all about survival for us. We have got a very special bond here, and a great work ethic within the group. We all want the same thing.





“Personally, it’s great for me to be playing with some of the boys we’ve got here, experienced players who can really help me develop my game. You look at someone like Rio (Ferdinand), who has had an incredible career and been a top player for many years, I can only learn from him.”





Phillips admits that QPR fans are still to see the best of him since his move to Loftus Road last summer.





Having arrived with a broken arm and missing out on pre-season, Phillips gradually settled in and had just started to show what he was capable of when he was struck down by an ankle injury in February, ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.





“I was feeling really good within myself and was starting to put in performances on the pitch, so it was really disappointing,” he reflects.





“But that’s in the past now, and I am just delighted that the fans stuck by me and supported me like they did, willing me on. Now I am just looking forward to this season and showing what I can do.”





Phillips has the ability to get people off their seat, and at Loftus Road you can sense the anticipation from the crowd when he picks the ball up in space. It’s something the 23 year-old has noticed too.





“That’s one of the best feelings, when you can feel that everyone is right behind you – that’s my game, picking it up and running at people,” he said.





Phillips has been in the starting XI for QPR’s last three fixtures, and he enjoyed being involved in the club’s first Premier League win of the campaign against Sunderland last weekend.





“It was great to play a part in that,” he added. “This season is another big one for me, after missing the second half of last year.





“I had a small taste of the Premier League a few years ago with Blackpool, and it’s where everyone wants to play their football so I am delighted to be back involved in it. Now I am going to work hard to try and keep my place in the side.”



