Hero Phillips Looking For Run In The Side

Hero of the moment Kevin Phillips is hoping that he managed to prove a point after netting a brace in the derby game with Wolves at the weekend.

Phillips, 36, came on as a sub with Blues trailing 1-0 to score twice in the last ten minutes and handed Birmingham another win.

Now Phillips hopes that manager Alex McLeish will see him as the striker he needed to bring in during the transfer window.

Phillips said: “In football you soon get forgotten about when you`re not playing. I believe, as I did at the start of the season, I can still do a job in this league and I`ve shown that.

“I was feeling a bit down this year. I`ve been lucky as, wherever I`ve gone in my career, I`ve played and it`s difficult sitting on the bench. Yesterday gave me a boost and that hunger again.

“I`ve shown myself I can still do it.”

Phillips could have been on his way out of St Andrews in January as there were clubs interested, but he decided to stay and fight for a place.

He added: “There were teams interested, but I would have had to upsticks and move. I said at the end of last season I didn`t want to move.

“I felt, even if the gaffer brought another striker in, it would have only been four and I believed I would get my chance. Now I`m going to be knocking on his door for another year.

“The manager pulled me aside once the window had closed and told me he got offered players, big names who were coming to the end of their careers, but felt they weren`t going to bring anything to the club which wasn`t already here.”