Ash Phillips has joined Plymouth Argyle on loan from Tottenham Hotspur for the remainder of the season.

The highly rated 18-year-old departed Ewood Park in August following a six-year association with the club.

Phillips enjoyed a remarkable rise in East Lancashire, initially making his Under-21 debut as a 16-year-old and then stepping up to the first team picture within a year.

The 6’4 defender played 14 times in all competitions last season, including eight league appearances as Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side finished seventh in the Championship.

He was named EFL apprentice of the year in the second tier last term, seeing off competition from Jamie Knight-Lebel and Emre Tezgel. Previous winners include Ben Brereton Diaz and Jude Bellingham.

Phillips has also been capped by England between Under-17 and Under-19 levels, as well as being named on standby for the Under-20 World Cup.

He made five appearances for Spurs’ Under-18 side during the first half of the campaign and was named on the bench in the Premier League.

The youngster will be keen to get minutes under his belt for the Pilgrims, who recently appointed ex-England Under-20 boss Ian Foster as their new head coach. Foster was working as Steven Gerrard’s number two at Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq.

Steven Schumacher led Plymouth to the League One title last season but was snapped up by Stoke City.

The Pilgrims currently sit in 18th place and have a seven-point cushion over the relegation zone at this stage. They beat Sutton United 3-1 in the FA Cup third round over the weekend after goals from Luke Cundle, Ryan Hardie and Morgan Whittaker.