You Ask The Questions:
Kevin Phillips on golden boots, Elton John and stinging nettles
We’re deep inside the Staffordshire countryside, and Kevin Phillips’ goose is honking at us.
“That’s our guard goose,” jokes Phillips. “If anything’s happening, it will let you know. It attacks you – it’s horrible!”
We’re standing outside the home of the only Englishman ever to win the European Golden Boot, and as long as we keep a safe distance from the most fearsome goose in all of Christendom, it’s hard not to be impressed.
A converted former gatehouse beside a quiet country lane, this may be one of the finest homes we’ve ever visited.
Outside there are areas for the family horses, plus a full-sized football goal and space to practise his putting. Indoors, there’s a pool table, his England caps, the Premier League Golden Boot and the European prize, both secured thanks to the 30 league goals he plundered for Sunderland in 1999-2000.
“You see the list of winners now and it makes it even more special,” says the 45-year-old. “Messi, Ronaldo, Phillips.” Not bad for a player whose career began as a full-back in England’s seventh tier.
He soon settles down on the sofa and we’re ready to talk...
What was the maddest thing you ever saw Ian Holloway do at Blackpool or Crystal Palace? Garry Wright, Fleetwood After the 2013 play-off final with Palace, we were on our way back to the hotel and the lads asked the boss if we could stop to get some more drink. He said, “Of course.” We stopped in one hell of a rough place in London, and sent the two biggest lads to the off licence. The next thing we knew, people are saying, “Look at Ollie!” He was running up and down the high street with the play-off trophy above his head – and this high street was rough. People were looking as if to say, ‘What the hell is this geezer doing?’ His wife was at the front of the bus and she banged on the window, saying, “Get in here!” A few of the lads had to go and get him. It was funny, but anyone could have mugged him, taken the trophy and done a runner!
Were you in the dressing room when Kevin Keegan quit after England lost to Germany in 2000? Lucy Norton, Devizes I was. It was strange. Kev didn’t come in straight after the game and we all knew
something wasn’t right. He did a speech and looked physically shattered. There was emotion in his voice and he said, “I’ve taken this team as far as I can and can’t do it any more – I’ve quit.” There was silence, then the senior boys spoke up – guys like Tony Adams saying, “You can’t quit now!” We had to play Finland in midweek. The lads loved him. I didn’t get on in that game but I enjoyed being in his company. It was a weird situation.
What happened with Milton Nunez at Sunderland? Did they really sign the wrong player by accident? Juan Horacio Perez, Tegucigalpa I don’t think they signed the wrong guy. He just turned up at the training ground – a lovely guy, but I’m hardly the tallest player in the world and he was a foot shorter than me! He didn’t settle in, but he’s gone down in Sunderland folklore.
You always scored against Wolves – was it personal, or just business? Ben Lewis, via Twitter [Laughs] Any striker always has a team they’ve scored 10 or 12 against. Even when I was at Watford, I scored against Wolves. To score three against them for
West Brom in the two legs of the 2007 play-off semi-final was incredible. It was never personal. Nice, but never personal!
What was your biggest setback? Henry Mills, via Instagram Getting released by Southampton at 18. I spent the summer thinking, ‘My dream is over – I’ll never become a footballer’. I cleaned Alan Shearer’s boots when he was scoring lots of goals, so I must have done a pretty good job! I went there as a striker but hadn’t fully developed yet. Coach Dave Merrington said I needed toughening up and asked me to play right-back. I wasn’t keen, but you either play right-back or not at all. I ended up there for nearly two years! When I was released, I wrote to every club in the country but got three replies. All said, “We’ve got our full quota of players, but we’ll keep your name on record.” That was heartbreaking, but at least I tried.
Having been a right-back, was your relentless drive to score goals partly through fear of going back there? Michael Gant, via Twitter [Laughs] No! I’d scored a lot of goals as a kid, and I always believed that if I got
an opportunity, I’d take it. I was playing right-back for non-league Baldock and also working 12-hour days in a bread factory – it was hard, 6am until 6pm, then you’d go home, get your kit and go training. But I had belief in myself. Ian Allinson was the manager and I’d be in his ear saying, “I’m a striker.” He’d say, “Yeah, but we’ve got enough strikers.” He always wanted a full-back to stay on the halfway line, but I wanted to get forward and score! He’d scream at me, yelling, “What are you doing?!” Then one Friday night, he rang me and said, “We haven’t got a striker for tomorrow – do you fancy a go?” It was Burnham away – I scored two and never looked back.
Did you meet Elton John at Watford? Karl Morgan, Pinner I did. I made my Watford debut against Sunderland, and before the game Glenn Roeder walked into the dressing room and said, “Kev, someone wants to meet you.” I went out and he said, “This is Mr Elton John.” I couldn’t believe it. I’d been doing well in the reserves and he knew all about me. He’s very knowledgeable about football. I shook his hand and he had this big diamond ring on his finger. I just thought, ‘Wow, amazing’.
I played 16 games that season and scored nine goals, but I lost my dad at the end of that season. We were away on an end-of-season tour, and he had a heart attack. It hurt me so much that I was ready to quit. I’d achieved what I wanted and my dad had seen me play. Glenn Roeder was amazing – he’d had a similar situation with his father and said, “Do it for your dad – keep going.”
You made a good decision signing for Sunderland. Why did you think it was time to leave Watford? Milan Toth, via Instagram To be honest, I didn’t, as I’d just started to make a name for myself by scoring goals. But I was on £300 a week - I’d taken a pay cut from what I was earning at Baldock and working at the factory. When I went in for my second contract, Graham Taylor had come in as manager and between him, my agent and myself, we couldn’t agree. I was close to joining Ipswich but the clubs didn’t agree a fee. We were in the Portman Road car park and I asked my agent, “What now?” He phoned Sunderland manager Peter Reid. I should have signed for Ipswich but, no disrespect to them, joining Sunderland was the best decision that I ever made.
Where does Quinn and Phillips rank in terms of world strike partnerships? ‘Ip81523’, via Instagram World? Maybe not world partnerships, but certainly when you look at Premier
League strike partnerships, people talk about us. It wasn’t a Shearer and Chris Sutton, or Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke – we weren’t as prolific over as many years – but over two or three seasons we scored a lot. It was unique at the time: the little and large double act. Niall was 6ft 4in, I was 5ft 7in, but it worked. Defenders weren’t sure how to mark us. I felt comfortable as soon as I met the guy and we were good friends, which always helps. I scored 35 goals in that first season playing with him and broke Brian Clough’s post-war Sunderland record – he’d scored 34. Brian presented me with a shirt, which was an honour.
‘Big man and little man’ combinations are rare now. Will they ever return? Mark Robertson, via Instagram Everyone’s hooked on playing out from the back, inverted widemen and playing strikers wide these days. It’s not seen as the cool thing to go with two strikers. I find that strange – why would you not have two natural scorers on the pitch? I’d struggle if I started my career now. Peter Reid played me up top on my own
sometimes and it just didn’t feel right. It wasn’t my game – I liked to play off someone and build up a relationship.
How does losing the Championship play-off final feel as a player? Cian Fanning, via Instagram Wembley isn’t a place for losers. I played in four play-off finals, lost three and won
one. It’s the most expensive game in football, and you’ve just played an extra three weeks for nothing. People always told me if you go up that way, it’s the best way to get promoted. Because I’d lost three, I thought, ‘It can’t be’ – until I won with Crystal Palace at the end of my career and got the winner. When the final whistle went, all sorts of emotions
went through my body. It was amazing. Losing is cruel. Losing with West Brom against Derby was the hardest, because we battered Derby. Even with Blackpool against West Ham, we dominated for about 80 minutes. Sunderland against Charlton was a penalty shootout, but it was an incredible game.
Did the Charlton play-off final defeat motivate you for the following year? Harry Charlton, Washington One hundred per cent. As bizarre as it seems, it was actually a blessing to lose to Charlton. We weren’t quite ready to go up that season. We needed another year together, getting used to playing at the Stadium of Light. The following season, we romped the league. I scored four at Bury when we sealed promotion, which was amazing – our fans had three sides of their ground. For the last goal, I picked up the ball by the halfway line, then drove forward and bent it in the top corner. I just stood there with my arms in the air thinking, ‘We’ve done it’. When we went up, we were ready – we came 7th in each of the next two campaigns.
You scored 30 goals in your maiden Premier League season and won the European Golden Boot. How does it feel being the only Englishman ever to win that award? Lisa Lomas, via Instagram I’m very proud of it and, no disrespect to Sunderland, but I think to do it with a team like Sunderland was one hell of an achievement. If I’d been playing for
Manchester United or Arsenal, people would have said, ‘You’re at one of the best sides. You’re going to get chances’. To still be the only Englishman to win it makes me extremely proud. I hope that record doesn’t get broken!
Before your Golden Boot campaign, Rodney Marsh said you’d only score five or six goals as a Premier League striker. Did that fire you up? Sonia Kilburn, Berkhamsted Of course – everyone is entitled to their opinion. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a chance to meet him since! I’d scored 55 goals in my first two seasons with Sunderland, having had three months out injured in the second season. I felt I could step up. We got smashed 4-0 at Chelsea on the first weekend – I think I only touched the ball about five times and thought, ‘Rodney Marsh could be right!’ But we had Watford at home on the Tuesday and I scored twice. The Premier League hadn’t come up against a pairing like me and Niall before [right]. We caught teams out.
What was it like to score the winner away at Newcastle? Ian Kelly, Sunderland That was huge. Ruud Gullit dropped Alan Shearer and
Duncan Ferguson. The rumours filtered through to us on the bus to the game, and when the team-sheet came in, the atmosphere changed in our dressing room. Something was clearly not right in their camp and we’d heard rumours that if Newcastle got beat, Gullit would be gone. The weather was unbelievable, and when the ball came to me for the goal, it hit a puddle and stopped dead. I saw Niall coming in and thought, ‘Shall I cross it? Nah, I’m going for it!’ As soon as the chip left my foot, I knew it was in.
After the game, I drove back through the town and everyone was celebrating. Even though I’d scored 55 goals in my first two seasons, I didn’t feel that I was part of Sunderland’s history or had the legendary status people were starting to talk about… until I scored that goal.
In 2017, you said that if a striker ever repeated your Golden Boot season today, they would deserve a transfer to any team. If you were still playing, where would the 25-year-old Phillips be? Will Jeffrey, via Instagram Wow… well, whoever’s prepared to pay! It would have to be about £70 million these days and you’d be looking at the top four in the Premier League. I was linked with Spurs and Arsenal, and Aston Villa bid £15m for me. If I’d
really wanted to go, I could have done, but I just felt so at home at Sunderland. They looked after me. They’d built a new tier at the ground and I thought, ‘There’s no better place to play, so why leave?’
Did you ever swim in the North Sea? Brett Bentley, via Twitter Only once! We trained down there when the training ground was frozen. Reidy took us down to the beach and we had to jump into the sea. I lasted seconds!
Which was better: winning the Golden Boot or making your England debut? ‘Cfalcc’, via Twitter Playing for your country is the pinnacle of anyone’s career, and me and Michael Gray managed to do it while we were still in the First Division. I started against Hungary and it was surreal. I also came on against Argentina, Brazil and Italy, then started at home to Belgium at the Stadium of Light, which was amazing.
How disappointed were you not to get on the pitch during Euro 2000? Stuart Steelyard, via Twitter I think I deserved some minutes on the pitch, when you look at how well we did. I was the Premier League’s top scorer. Against Romania, I kept looking over at Kev and Derek Fazackerley, attempting to make eye contact to say, ‘Get me on’. I never scored for England, and that’s a slight regret. I had to drop deeper and link the play. Did I put myself in scoring positions for England as much as in club football? I probably didn’t.
“I’D LOST THREE FI NH AO LJ SN SO OT DE IDR NE ’TB WANT TO LOSE ANOTHER . IE TH ’ ST T H EO CALMEST I FELT OVER A PENALTY, AND ONE OF THE BEST I EVER HIT”