Contender for Black Cats job Kevin Phillips in region today as Sunderland and Middlebrough legends honoured

Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips – among the early favourites for the Black Cats job – is in the region today at an event to celebrate Peter Reid and Bryan Robson.
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Reid and Robson, the former Sunderland and Middlesbrough managers, will be presented with Legend Awards by the North East Football Writers’ Association this evening.

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The inaugural award is in recognition of the contribution the two men made to North East football, as they helped to put Sunderland and Middlesbrough on the football map in the formative years of the Premier League.

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips.Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips.
Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips.

The event will be held at the Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa. And Phillips and Nigel Pearson - also linked with the Sunderland job - were two of the key figures in the period when both clubs moved to the Stadium of Light and The Riverside Stadium.Phillips, signed by Reid from Watford in July 1997 for just £325,000, scored 130 goals in 235 games for Sunderland, establishing a deadly partnership with Niall Quinn and becoming the only Englishman to win the European Golden Shoe award with his 30 goals in 2000.

Sunderland are looking for a new manager after Jack Ross was sacked on Tuesday afternoon just hours before the EFL Trophy victory over Grimsby Town at the Stadium of Light.

Phillips is understood to be keen on getting into management but it remains to be seen whether the Black Cats will look to appoint a more experienced manager.