A talented full back, Phil Ifil was rated as a potential England international by Martin Jol when given his debut as a 17 year old. However, that potential was never fulfilled and he left the club to drop down into the lower leagues.
Attended Gladstone Park school and Willesden High School in North-West London as a boy.
A speedy defender, who could read the game very well and loved to get forward on the overlap to bolster the attack, Phil Ifil was a great hope for the club. Signing as a youngster and working his way up through the youth system, he was handed his debut in Jacques Santini's first game in charge against Liverpool on the opening day of the 2004-05 season, just a couple of weeks after signing professional.
While Ifil made irregular appearances in the first team as Jol succeeded Santini, the new Head Coach was full of praise for his "fifth England player in the side" as he called him, with progress expected to the full side at some stage after playing in the Under-20 World Cup for his country in 2003. However, with big money signings ahead of him in the pecking order, Phil impressed in the Reserves and on a six month loan spell at Millwall and another loan at Southampton, but frustrated by a lack of opportunity to play regular first team football, he moved to Colchester United for a six figure fee in 2009.
His time with the U's was blighted by injury and he turned out for 40 first team appearances in his two and a half years at the club, before manager John Ward failed to offer him a new deal and he left to sign for Dagenham and Redbridge on a free transfer in the summer of 2010, but was released by the relegated club on 23rd May 2011.
Joined Kettering Town, but financial trouble hit the club and they were relegated from the Conference Premier at the end of the 2011-12 season.
Phil's brother Jerel is a footballer and played for Watford, Huddersfield Town, Swindon Town, Aberdeen and Bristol Rovers.