“The renowned Newcastle figure, Alan Shearer, has commended Sunderland’s Kevin Phillips, setting aside their rivalry. Shearer, a prominent figure for Newcastle United, discussed the emergence of top talents in the Premier League. Phillips, an iconic player for Sunderland, achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Golden Shoe in his debut Premier League season after aiding Sunderland’s return to the top flight. Acquired for a reported £650,000 from Watford in 1997, Phillips netted an impressive 30 goals, an accomplishment that still stands as unmatched by any Englishman since. His partnership with Niall Quinn propelled Sunderland to a seventh-place finish, narrowly missing out on a UEFA Cup spot for two consecutive seasons. Despite Shearer’s status as the Premier League’s record goal scorer, he acknowledges that Phillips’ achievement in winning the Golden Shoe remains unrivaled.”
The Newcastle veteran named Phillips as one of his top 10 breakthrough prospects, with Gary Lineker and Micha Richards. “He had that brilliant partnership with Quinn, didn’t he?” Shearer said on Match of the Day: Top 10. It worked nicely for him, big man, little man.
“I’m not sure, I think Watford got him from Kevin Phillips.” He was only 20 miles away, and Newcastle fans despised him. But they despised him for a reason, and that reason was because he was a fantastic goal scorer.”
