Strikingly Different

This text is an in-depth look into the lifestyle of a high-profile professional footballer at one of the biggest clubs in the country. Tales of chicanery with manager Peter Reid and fellow players are mixed with Phillips's observations of life in the "fishbowl" of a football-mad city.

---

Kevin Phillips's rise to fame is a remarkable "Roy of the Rovers" fantasy story. Four years ago he was stacking shelves in Dixons and playing for non-League Baldock Town. Now, in only his third season with Sunderland, he has broken every club goalscoring record and currently tops the Premiership goalscoring charts, while for England he has shown boss Kevin Keegan that he has the ability to perform at the highest level as well. This text is an in-depth look into the lifestyle of a high-profile professional footballer at one of the biggest clubs in the country. Tales of chicanery in the dressing room with manager Peter Reid and fellow players Niall Quinn and Michael Gray are mixed with Phillips's wry observations of life in the "fishbowl" of a football-mad city and the pressure that comes with being a messiah to the fans.