Kevin Fillips

The penny may have finally dropped for Alex McLeish that Birmingham City’s best hopes of securing another season in the Premier League lie with a 37-year-old predator who has been knocking goals in reliably for 17 years. Kevin Phillips was handed his first league start of the season last weekend and duly responded with a fourth minute strike that set up Blues’ first win since the Carling Cup Final.

Nobody should be that surprised. The former England international has four goals from four starts this season. His wonderful strike in the FA Cup quarter final, again against Bolton, was largely overshadowed by the last minute winner for the Trotters. No matter, Phillips is a man on form who has never lost the knack for finding the net. Judging by his manager’s comments after last week’s game he is all set to be given a run in the side. “Kevin Phillips is a genius in the box. He just drifts into space, it’s difficult to coach that, it’s just a gift. He is just a natural goalscorer.” With the second lowest scoring team in the division, McLeish surely can’t return the veteran to the bench after those comments!

Next in the former Sunderland man’s sights are Blackburn in a massive relegation dogfight on Saturday. Rovers are without a win in eight matches and will surely struggle to contain a resurgent ‘KP.’ PaddyPower seem slow to react to recent developments by still offering 16/5 on Kevin Phillips as an anytime goalscorer at Ewood Park. There is simply too much value to pass up.