ALEX McLeish saluted Kevin Phillips as a ‘born goalscorer’.
And the Blues boss said that if he could turn the clock back then Phillips would probably have played more this season.
Phillips, on his first Premier League start, opened the scoring in Blues’ 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers.
“Kevin’s fantastic,” said McLeish. “I used him sparingly in the first half of the season, maybe if I could turn the clock back it would be different. But we’re all masters of hindsight.
“I expected us to be in a better position and Kevin, I felt, would be more effective as an impact player.
“Some people will maybe have a go and say ‘why has he not been in the team earlier’?
“The thinking was that he would probably be more suited to coming on in the latter stages but what do I know about football? He’s a genius. He finds space, drifts into space, and it’s difficult to coach that kind of movement. It’s a gift.
