Kevin Phillips has offered his view on Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey.

Ex-Sunderland icon Kevin Phillips has argued that current Black Cats striker Brian Brobbey has been a “victim of his own success” at times this season due to the manner in which he is treated by referees.

The Dutchman has made a notable impact on the Premier League this term, and continues to garner a reputation for his impressive physicality and the bruising presence he provides at the point of attack.

Brobbey’s recent performances have not been without their controversies, however. On Sunday, the 24-year-old was cautioned for an apparent coming together with Tottenham Hotspur defender Pedro Porro, and many Spurs fans have since expressed a belief that he should have been shown a second yellow following an incident involving Cristian Romero that left the Argentine defender injured and his goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky, bloodied in an unfortunate collision.

What has Kevin Phillips said about Sunderland star Brian Brobbey?

And speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of BestBettingSites, Phillips has admitted that the manner in which Brobbey approaches his role does seem to have an effect on the way that match officials deal with him.

When asked if he feels that Brobbey is held to a different standard than his peers, the pundit responded: “I would have to say so. I’ve watched him a fair few times this season. I’ve watched him on the TV and I’ve watched him live. I was at the game at the weekend. It’s just the way he is. It’s just the way he plays.

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“He’s almost like that old-fashioned centre forward. He loves backing into defenders, gets his arms up, and he grabs the shirt and nowadays referees see that as a free kick or a foul. He’s been excellent, he’s been outstanding for Sunderland. I’m not sitting here saying he should change his game but there’s probably times when he doesn’t need to fight the defenders as much because he’s strong enough to not need to do that. He has been a bit of a victim of his own success but I would never take that away from his game because he is that out ball and he’s been superb, and he’s getting better in my opinion.”

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