Kevin Phillips, one of the classiest and most effective strikers in English football over the course of the last two decades, left Crystal Palace on December 31 as Tony Pulis begins to retool his squad. Phillips plans on retiring from playing after this season ends, and wants to finish his playing career at a Midlands club near his home.

Phillips was brought to Crystal Palace by Ian Holloway last year after the manager had previously worked with the striker at Blackpool.

The 40-year-old scored the goal that put Palace back into the Premier League converting an extra time penalty at Wembley to defeat Watford, the club which he began his Football League career at. The former England international scored 30 Premier League goals during the 1999-2000 season for Sunderland. That total shot Phillips to the top of goal scoring charts in Europe that season. In that same time, Phillips scored over half the Black Cats goals and helped fire Peter Reid’s team that had just been promoted to 7th in the table.

Having scored 92 Premier goals in his career at Sunderland, Southampton, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, Phillips was unable to add to his top-flight goals scoring total this season at Crystal Palace. In addition, he has 158 goals at the second division level in English football.

Phillips would be a good signing for any side looking to achieve promotion this season. His dressing room influence has long been hailed as positive and he showed last season the knack for scoring important and timely goals while helping to fire Palace to promotion.

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