Alan Shearer has named a former Sunderland icon as one of the Premier League’s best breakthrough talents.
Speaking on the Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast, the former Newcastle United striker explained why his former club ‘hated’ Kevin Phillips during his excellent spell on Wearside.
Kevin Phillips joined Sunderland from Watford for an initial £325,000 in 1997. The forward became the only Englishman to date to be awarded the Golden Shoe after netting 30 goals in his debut campaign in the Premier League.
Phillipsalso won the Premier League Golden Boot, Premier League Player of the Year, North East FWA Player of the Year and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Phillips scored 130 goals in 235 appearances for Sunderland, helping guide the club from Division One to consecutive seventh place finishes in the top flight.
The Black Cats were eventually relegated again, with Phillips going on to join Southampton.
The 50-year-old is fondly remembered as one of Sunderland’s greatest ever players and has even received high praise from Alan Shearer, despite his love for their fierce rivals.
“He had that brilliant partnership with Quinn didn’t he. Big man, little man and it worked perfectly for him,” Shearer said.
“I don’t know, I think it was Watford they got him from Kevin Phillips. He was only 20 miles down the road and Newcastle fans hated him. But, they hated him for a reason and it was because he was a brilliant goal scorer.”
Will Sunderland ever find another Kevin Phillips?
Kevin Phillips scored four goals in six appearances against Newcastle United, so it comes as no surprise that Alan Shearer and the Tyneside supporters held such a grudge against him.
The days of Phillips and Niall Quinn certainly haven’t been forgotten in Sunderland, while there is no doubt fans will wish they had the pair back in the Championship right now.
The pair scored 41 league goals between them as Sunderland were promoted during the 1998-19 season, and it came as no surprise that they finished 18 points clear at the top of the table.
The current crop of Black Cats aren’t expected to reach those heights, but to not even have a single striker score a goal yet makes promotion seem increasingly unlikely.
Sunderland have been hoping to sign a future star on the cheap, just like they did with Phillips, but signing inexperienced youngsters from abroad is never going to have quite the same impact.