Ex-Aston Villa striker reveals why he can avoid 'a slap' from fans despite joining Birmingham City
A former Aston Villa and Birmingham City striker has described the Second City Derby as the biggest he’s played in
“You can never become a hero at a club until you score against a local rival,” says Kevin Phillips, who experienced life as a striker for West Midlands rivals Aston Villa and Birmingham City during his 23-year playing career.
Phillips, who holds the unique distinction of being the first Englishmen to win the European Golden Shoe, and the only one to achieve it while playing in the Premier League, joined Aston Villa in August 2005 in a £1m move from Southampton.
The striker was relegated with the Saints, but still held a solid reputation as a goalscorer from his six incredible seasons at Sunderland, which saw him score 118 times in 223 appearances across all competitions for the Black Cats. Prior to joining Aston Villa, he’d been the subject of interest from Arsenal after helping Sunderland to a seventh placed finish. But that deal never materialised and he remained with the Machems long enough to experience relegation in 2003.
Speaking to the Seaman Says podcast, Phillips said: “I did come quite close to signing for Arsenal under Arsene, but he went for Francis Jeffers. The chance to play with Thierry Henry would have been a dream come true.”
Kevin Phillips describes Second City derby as the biggest he’s played in
Phillips joined Aston Villa in August 2005 after experiencing his second career relegation. He scored 26 times in 73 matches for the Saints in a surprisingly stacked front-line which featured James Beattie and Peter Crouch while still finishing bottom of the league.
Phillips only lasted one season at Aston Villa, scoring four in 27 matches, which at the time was his lowest top-flight season to date. However, he did manage to score the winner against the Blues at St Andrew’s in a 1-0 victory in October 2005.
Recalling the game Phillips old BBC Radio WM: "I was excited, I hadn't played in a derby as big.I managed to score, and came off with about 15 minutes left and I was just praying, please let my goal be the winner.
“When the final whistle went, I couldn't believe I'd scored a winner for such a huge club, away at their local rivals. I've scored in lots of derbies for lots of clubs, but you never really become a hero until you score one of those winners.I can probably walk around Birmingham without a slap from a Villa fan because obviously I played for three years at the Blues."
Kevin Phillips helped fire Blues to the Premier League after controversial switch
Phillips enjoyed a prolific two-year stint with West Brom from 2006 to 2008 which ended with him winning the Championship and firing the Baggies back at the big time under Tony Mowbray in his much more successful first stint.
However, despite scoring 22 in his final season, Phillips was allowed to leave on a free transfer. The club had offered him a one-year extension but Phillips wanted two years which Birmingham City, who had just been relegated, were more than happy to give him. The move attracted controversy but proved to be a masterstroke as he scored 14 times, including a winner against Reading on the last day of the season to secure his side a second place finish and automatic promotion.
He played a peripheral role in the Premier League thereafter, before moving back down to the Championship with Blackpool and later Crystal Palace - helping the latter secure promotion to the Premier League with the winning penalty in the play-off final. He’s been retired since 2013 and has managed the likes of South Shields, Hartlepool and most recently AFC Fylde. He’s been out of management since February.