ALBION pulled off a major coup when they snapped up 'Super Kev' from Villa in a £700,000 deal in August 2006.

The ex-England international signed a two-year contract after turning down a move to former club Sunderland.

He took little time establishing himself as a Hawthorns hero during his first season at the club, plundering an impressive 22 goals to finish as the team's second highest scorer.

Phillips' scoring feats included hat-tricks at Ipswich and against Barnsley on the final day of the league season, which helped clinch a play-off place.

But it is his goals return from Albion's derby duels with Wolves which will probably live longest in the memory.

Phillips netted four times in as many appearances against the Baggies' Black Country rivals during 2006/07.

His three goals in Albion's 4-2 aggregate victory over Wolves in the play-off semi-finals also swept the club to Wembley.

The goals continued to flow in 2007/08 and Phillips bravely battled back from a six-week knee injury lay-off to win the December 2007 Powerade Player-of-the-Month Award after netting five times in just four games.

And he collected an even bigger accolade in March 2008 when he won the FourFourTwo Player of the Year in the Coca-Cola Championship.

The evergreen striker was also in pole position in FourFourTwo's Top 50 Football League Players, beating off competition from Charlton striker Andy Gray and Wolves winger Michael Kightly, who finished second and third respectively.

He celebrated his 200th career league goal by opening the scoring in a 1-1 Hawthorns draw with Crystal Palace ten days later.

Phillips crowned both his full league and Hawthorns debuts in September 2006 with a late goal from the penalty spot in a 2-0 win over Leicester.

The Hitchin-born forward arrived at The Hawthorns boasting a career ratio of a goal almost every other game.

Following spells with non-league Baldock Town and Watford, where he spent three years playing under the likes of Glenn Roeder and Graham Taylor, Phillips signed for Sunderland in a £325,000 deal in July 1997.

His 31 league goals in his first season helped guide the Mackems to the Championship play-off final, where they dramatically lost to Charlton on penalties after the game finished 4-4.

But he did not have to wait long to win promotion as the Black Cats romped to the title - bagging 105 points in the process - the following season, thanks in large part to Phillips' 23 strikes in a 39-goal partnership with former Ireland ace Niall Quinn.

He then took the Premiership by storm, smashing an incredible 30 goals to finish as the league's leading scorer and scoop Europe's Golden Boot award.

The Wearsiders, for whom Phillips bagged 132 goals, secured their best-ever Premiership finish of seventh on the back of his displays, which also earned him international recognition.

Kevin Keegan handed him his England debut in April 1999 in a 1-1 draw against Hungary and he went on to play eight times for his country.

Phillips returned to Southampton, where he started his career as a trainee, in a £3.25million move in August 2003.

But following the Saints' relegation in 2005, he joined Villa in a £1m switch.

Before signing for Albion, Phillips had notched 169 times in 357 games, including 18 as a substitute.

(UPDATED ON MARCH 20, 2008)