Assistant first team coach and striking mentor Kevin Phillips is set to receive the Sir Tom Finney Award at this evening’s 10th annual Football League Awards.
The 41 year old finally hung up his boots and drew the curtain down on a 20 year career as he turned forty and he’s been recognised for an ‘outstanding contribution’ to the Football League that saw him gain five promotions with five different clubs.
Speaking to lcfc.com about the honour, Phillips explained.
‘I`m extremely proud and truly privileged to accept this award and I`d like to thank The Football League, which has given me so many fantastic memories during my 20 years as a professional footballer. It`s all I ever wanted to be, I devoted my life to it and the game has given me so much in return. It`s a bit more special that the award is now so closely associated to Sir Tom Finney – one of the greatest players, gentlemen and role models English football has ever seen. If my career can help inspire a fraction of the people Sir Tom`s did, I`ll count it among my finest achievements.’
Phillips hung up his boots having made 660 senior appearances with a goal return of 272. He won the Football League Championship three times in his career, promotion five times and successive promotions in the last two years of his playing days with Crystal Palace and Leicester City.
He also proved himself a very potent Premier League striker in that time and earned himself eight England international caps.
In the 1999-00 season with Sunderland, he hit 30 top flight goals and became the first Englishman to win the European Golden Boot Award and he was named Championship Player of the Year back in 2008.
Vital Leicester on:
Vital Leicester on:
