I should hav e beenwengers’ fox in the box
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ARSENE WENGER collared former England striker Kevin Phillips this week and had a confession to make.
When the Sunderland striker was banging in the goals at the Stadium of Light, Wenger wanted a poacher who could snaffle chances and give his side the edge in the title race.
But Wenger now admits he went for the wrong man.
“Aston Villa put in a bid and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal was keen to sign me,” explained Phillips.
“Every time I see him now, he makes the remark that he maybe should have gone for me instead of Francis Jeffers. It was a toss-up between us. Because he was a bit younger, he opted for him.
“It would have been a dream come true, to play for my boyhood club.
“At least he acknowledges now he perhaps should have gone for me! That makes me sleep easier at night.”
Phillips now has a different dream – to be manager at League One Sunderland, who are in a very different state from the in-your-face upstarts boss Peter Reid led to seventh-place top-flight finishes in 2000 and 2001.
He has his Premier League Golden Boot and European Golden Boot on display at home, which remind him of a wonderful playing career on Wearside that peaked with a remarkable 30-goal haul in 1999-2000.
That built an enduring connection with Sunderland fans which he believes he could build on as boss.
He’s called Sunderland owner Stewart Donald to make his pitch and is on Wearside in the next few days to elaborate on how he can lead Sunderland to the Championship.
Phillips said: “I’m immensely proud of what I did as a player here. But I don’t live in the past. I’m ready to manage. I’d love it to be at Sunderland. “People keep saying to me, ‘You were great here as a player, if it doesn’t work out as a manager, it might tarnish your reputation.’ But you can’t go through life like that.”
So what would he offer, after coaching spells at Leicester, Derby and Stoke?
Phillips added: “I’ve learnt a lot. I’ve worked with some great managers in my time as a coach – Steve Mcclaren, Paul Clement, Nigel Pearson.
“It’s been a great learning curve, how to deal with players. Man-management for me is key, just like in Reidy’s day, coupled with my experience as a player and the way I can talk to and relate to players.
“I think it’s a massive advantage. I’ve watched the club closely. Things just need tweaking a little bit, left and right.
“I’d be positive and play attacking, positive football.”
Sunderland have also looked at Gareth Ainsworth, Paul Cook, Mark Robins and Daniel Stendel.
If Phillips is passed up it will be one of his few regrets in a fine career.