A complex character on and off the pitch, Philip Billing knows he can sometimes be misunderstood.
Nicknamed ‘Phil Brill’ by some supporters for his outstanding display in the FA Cup win at Burnley, Billing has let his feet do the talking in AFC Bournemouth’s past two games.
He followed up his winning goal in the 3-2 victory over Birmingham by turning in arguably his best performance for the club as they reached the quarter-finals for only the second time in their history.
Billing’s prodigious talent was highlighted by his audacious lay-off to Sam Surridge in the lead up to the Cherries earning and scoring a late penalty which sealed their place in the last eight.
It capped perfectly the midfielder’s 150th career appearance, a journey which started when Billing left his home in Denmark to join the academy ranks at Huddersfield as a 16-year-old.
Asked about the cushioned pass with his back, Billing told afcb.co.uk: “I had never tried it before to be honest but sometimes in games you play off the cuff.
“I was going to chest it but knew the defender was behind me. I spotted Sam and guessed he was going to run. I thought if I took it with my chest, the defender would probably intercept it. It was just instinct.
“I didn’t read anything about the supporters calling me ‘Phil Brill’ but it’s always nice when you get compared with something positive.
“I’ve seen stuff on Twitter about Ronaldinho and Zidane. It might have been good, but they are on a different level and I know it was just banter. I was pleased with the performance and it’s always nice to get positive feedback.”
While Billing may have won a host of individual player awards during his time at Huddersfield, he feels Cherries fans have yet to see the best of him.
“I don’t think people really know what kind of player I am,” he added. “But it’s up to me to show the supporters what kind of player I am.
“I’d like to think I’ve played a few good games in a Bournemouth shirt but Burnley was definitely up there with what I feel I’m capable of. It was the real me. I played free and enjoyed my football.”
One source of frustration for Billing is his aerial ability, a curious weakness considering he stands 6ft 6ins tall!
“I’ve always been bad in the air, people don’t believe it but it’s something which has always annoyed me,” he said.
“Ever since I was a kid growing up in Denmark, I was brought up to play with my feet. I have always been a technical player.
“I know I need to be better in the air. I feel like I don’t really know my size and I don’t feel like I’m 6ft 6ins when I’m running around on the pitch. I feel quick and feel I have better feet than most 6ft 6ins players would have.
“You look around and there probably aren’t many players in my position as tall as me but I don’t feel like it. It’s only when I watch clips after games that I realise I tower over the other players.”
As with most modern-day athletes, Billing is big on social media and his profile on Twitter includes the following quote from American singer/songwriter Frank Ocean – Don’t confuse my personality with my attitude. My personality is who I am. My attitude depends on who you are.
Asked what had prompted him to put this, Billing replied: “I feel like that’s just how I am really. I feel I’ve always been misunderstood.
“People don’t know me but they choose to judge me anyway. I can take a lot, providing it’s got nothing to do with my family.
“If someone chooses to abuse me, they may get a reply if it annoys me or I will just laugh. Most of the time, I just laugh because I find it funny.
“People are so quick to judge. They might judge me for my social media or the way I look or whatever.
“I’ve also had a few people who get to talk to me who say I’m not how they expected me to be. People choose to judge you by your looks or the way you might play for 90 minutes on a football field.
“Not liking someone you’ve never met is a big statement to make. You don’t know my personality, you might have seen my attitude, you might have seen me on the pitch for 90 minutes, but you don’t know me so don’t act like you know me.
“I don’t mind people going on social media and saying I’m no good at football but when people start speaking as if they know me and what I’ve been through, that annoys me a lot.”
Asked about tighter controls on social media to make companies more accountable for malicious content following recent cases of racist abuse, Billing said: “It’s hard because I feel like racists or people who have a problem with people of colour are always going to be around.
“You can try to make it better but there are always going to be people with hate in them. I don’t know why people choose to do it but I feel it’s so hard to get rid of it.
“But what we are doing at the moment in the world, it’s definitely taken a turn in the right direction.
“People are aware of it and what social media platforms have started to do is definitely going to help.
“Social media has such a big influence. It’s easy for people to open accounts and sit and abuse other people.
“It has to be accountable. If it comes from a certain IP address, people know exactly where it’s come from. These days, it’s too easy.
"Anything and everything can happen on social media. What social media says, people believe.”
Meanwhile, back on a footballing theme, Billing will be hoping scoring his first career goal on 13th February 2016 at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground will prove a good omen when the Cherries head to the venue on Saturday.
“I can’t believe it’s five years, it seems like only two,” he said. “Time flies. I was 19 and had just started playing for the first team.
“I remember it was third time lucky. I had a shot in the first half which went wide and another one in the second half.
“We had a counter, I got the ball and couldn’t see any options in front of me. I thought I’d try my luck.
“I was so focused on hitting the target and it went in the middle of the goal. It is a moment which will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“Hopefully, it’s a good omen. It makes you realise you can’t sit back. A few injuries have kept me out and probably my career hasn’t gone how I would have liked.
“But all you can do is keep working hard. I’m 24 now and it’s time to step it up. I love it here and love the area. Pretty much everything about it is perfect for me.”
