West Brom will be thankful they beat Sunderland AFC to Aston Villa transfer | OneFootball

West Brom beating Sunderland to the signing of Kevin Phillips was a gamechanger, as it helped the Baggies return to the Premier League.

West Bromwich Albion have had some iconic forwards grace The Hawthorns throughout their history.

Blasts from the past include the “King” Jeff Astle, who netted the winner in Albion’s 1968 FA Cup triumph, while Tony “Bomber” Brown secured a memorable strike in the UEFA Cup against Valencia and remains the club’s highest-ever scorer.

In more recent times, the Baggies have had marksmen in the Premier League with Peter Odemwingie and Romelu Lukaku, while regular goalscoring assets in the Championship have come in the form of Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle.

However, another cult hero in an Albion shirt with a deadly eye for goal was Kevin Phillips, who is adored by the West Brom faithful for his short time at the club.

The now 51-year-old’s goals at the top end of the pitch were critical for delivering success in the Black Country, and this key transfer decision to land him at The Hawthorns proved to be an inspired move for years to come.

Kevin Phillips broke Sunderland AFC hearts by snubbing them for West Brom

After recording 118 goals from 222 games for Sunderland, moves to Southampton and West Midlands rivals Aston Villa would transpire before making his next move.

The centre forward would go on to have strong interest emerging from the Black Cats once again, with hopes in the North East of him returning for a second stint to continue his remarkable goalscoring tally.

However, Phillips would elect to remain in the West Midlands and join Albion, citing a reluctance to move his family and home for a third time in three years as a major factor in his decision not to move back to the Stadium of Light.

This choice would turn out to massively benefit the Baggies, with Phillips continuing to show his prowess in front of goal for the Black Country outfit.

For Sunderland fans though, it was a tough watch to see a player they loved from his first stint on Wearside ultimately reject them, although it was at the end of the day for good reason.

The Hertfordshire-born forward would go on to have a delightful first season in the blue and white stripes, netting 16 goals, including two hat-tricks in victories over Ipswich Town and Barnsley.

These strikes would ensure the Baggies made the play-offs, and Phillips etched himself into Albion folklore, netting twice over both legs in the semi-final victory over arch Black Country rivals Wolves.

Albion would go on to lose the final to Derby County, but “Super Kev” kicked on in the following campaign, scoring goals for fun after missing the early part of the 2007/08 season with a knee injury.

A remarkably consistent run of form led to Phillips hitting the back of the net 22 times for himself and recording eight assists from 35 second tier games, firing West Brom back to the Premier League as second tier champions under Tony Mowbray.

From such an incredible term, Phillips would go on to scoop the Player of the Year awards from both the West Brom Supporters Club and Albion itself, while at a national level being chosen as the Championship Player of the Year and being included in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

In a wonderful two seasons leading the line, Phillips would record 38 goals and 15 assists for the Baggies from 71 first-team league appearances.

Phillips’ goals at the top end of the pitch proved to be invaluable for Albion securing a much-needed return to the Premier League, although it must have been a disappointment for The Hawthorns crowd to not see him ply his trade in the top flight, as the club ended up being rooted to the foot of the table and making an immediate return to the second tier.

However, Albion would possess the superior financial resources to leapfrog back to the Premier League, which would start an eight-year straight spell of top flight English football.

Phillips’ goals for the Baggies’ original promotion would help all these events to materialise, as the club cemented themselves as Premier League regulars and allowed the supporters to enjoy some positive times due to success in the top division.

West Brom will be forever indebted to Phillips for remaining in the West Midlands and showcasing his goalscoring qualities, leading him to become a fan favourite and being a popular figure whenever he steps foot inside B71.