Birmingham City: Kevin Phillips signs new 12-month contract for Blues
Birmingham City have secured the services of Kevin Phillips for another season.
Super Kev today signed a 12-month contract, ending any doubt over his immediate future
The striker, soon to be 37, decided that he was better off giving it another whirl at St Andrew's rather than heading elsewhere on a longer deal.
Alex McLeish has earmarked Phillips primarily for an impact role coming off the substitutes' bench.
And he has spoken about how he also wanted one of his trusted senior pros to set the right example to Blues younger players, and be a dressing room leader.
Although Phillips would like to be a starter, he accepted that his veteran status meant he would have to be used more sparingly.
And Phillips, settled in the area, enjoyed the season just gone and the atmosphere around Wast Hills.
Phillips joined Blues on a Bosman from Albion two summers ago.
He scored 14 times as Blues won promotion from the Championship, and followed-up with four goals this term.
He made only just two Premier League starts, but his knack of slotting into the flow of a game - and often changing it for the better- was a feature of his 17 appearances as a replacement.
His two goals against Wolves in a five-minute spell after coming on won that February derby and effectively secured Blues Premier League status.
McLeish has been trying to add another player of similar ilk to the ranks after not taking up the option on Christian Benitez's loan.
He withdrew a £5 million offer for Fabrizio Miccoli because of his knee injury and is now considering other options, among them Robbie Keane.
But McLeish remained steadfast in his view that he wanted Phillips to sign on again regardless of other transfer business.
Keane is among a number of targets McLeish has in mind, but Blues sources insist that no agent has been commissioned to broker a deal with Spurs.
