Former Sunderland and England striker Kevin Phillips has shaken off any initial scepticism over his appointment of manager of Northern Premier League club South Shields.
The 48-year-old will kick off his managerial career when his new side face Premier Division promotion rivals Warrington Town this weekend before making his home bow against Witton Albion on Tuesday night.
Those fixtures will see Phillips thrust into a high-pressure environment as the Mariners look to continue their push for promotion into the National League North.
They also round off a whirlwind week for the South Tyneside club after they parted company with former manager Graham Fenton last Sunday morning.
Black Cats legend Phillips was the surprising choice as his successor in a move that has provoked scepticism from many around the non-league scene.
Phillips admitted his initial reaction to a call from Mariners chairman Geoff Thompson followed a similar pattern - but insisted the move was a “no-brainer” once he had taken advice and opinion from a number of sources.
He told Chronicle Live: “You are a bit sceptical to start off with because is it a level I want to go in?
“You speak to a lot of people, who say they are negative and they say if you go in at that level and don’t succeed, you’ll probably never get another opportunity.
“I understand that, but it gets to a point in your life where you are fed up of waiting.
“I’ve waited for three years and there hasn’t been anything.
“Coupled with the ambition here, I spoke to my mate who is very knowledgeable about North East football in general and he has friends that are season ticket holders here.
“He said it’s almost looking like a no-brainer if that’s what you want to do.
“I spoke to people in the game, got their advice and there’s not one person that said it wasn’t a good opportunity.”
Phillips’ appointment as South Shields manager brings an end to a three-year absence from the game where he made his name as a much-feared striker.
A move into coaching with Derby County, Leicester City and Stoke City gave Phillips a taste of life on the other side of the touchline and gave him a hunger to move into the lead role in the dugout.
However, many onlookers have speculated that his managerial career could be over before it has begun if he is unable to find success with South Shields.
That is, however, not a point of view that Phillips is willing to take.
“I don’t look at it like that,” he explained.
“If things don’t go right, I’ll go back to doing what I was doing, it’s as simple as that.
“I got quite used to it, playing golf everyday, doing this and that.
“It’s not the end of the world but I am not even thinking about that.
“I am thinking about being successful, hitting the ground running and what will be will be.
“I am a great believer in that, I’m a very positive person and that is how I am going to approach this job.
“I’ll be very positive, and if the players can be the same, we will be on to a winner.”
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Any concerns that may have been harboured have been cast aside and Phillips is now excited by the challenge that lies ahead.
He finds himself in the “unique” position of taking over a side that is in with a strong chance of securing promotion.
Even more unique is the fact Phillips takes over the only full-time professional club in the Northern Premier League.
That means the pressure is on to achieve a fourth promotion in seven years and to take the club to within two promotions of a place in the Football League.
How that is achieved does not matter to the new Mariners boss.
“We want to get out of the league, it’s as simple as that and it’s great if we can play attractive football, front-foot football, pressing and winning games, it’s great.
“But it’s not always going to be like that.
“The pressures are different, but I’m willing to accept that and I’m not on any social media, so I don’t read social media.
“I tell my kids not to tell me anything but there is always going to be negativity out there.
“My message to the players is I don’t want any negativity around the training ground, I don’t want any negativity in and around here.
“I want everything positive because that the moment, everything is.
“The previous manager has left, which at this stage of the season isn’t ideal, but players have to get over it quickly.
“We’ve got a huge job, we still have 20 games left, there is still loads and loads of football to play.”
