SUNDERLAND goal-ace Kevin Phillips fears he has played his last game for England, writes FRANK JOHNSON.

While the 28-year-old striker applauded England's nail-biting, last-ditch qualification for the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea, he admitted last night he doesn't expect to be travelling to the Far East next year.

In a shock statement Phillips said: "To be honest I get the feeling that I will never get into the England squad as long as Sven-Goran Eriksson is manager.

"He has obviously set his stall out as far as his squad goes and it is clear I am not part of it."

Phillips, who became the first post-war Sunderland player to score 100 League goals in the victory at Bolton just over a week ago, was not totally surprised when he was not recalled to the squad against Greece even with the injury to star striker Michael Owen.

But instead of looking towards Phillips, the Swedish manager drafted in Spurs veteran Teddy Sheringham, and now Phillips, who has six caps, seems resigned to the fact that his England career is effectively over.

In a candid interview he said: "The truth is that this time when the squad was announced and I wasn't in it I wasn't too disappointed.

"In a way I almost expected it - I had a feeling that it just wasn't to be."

He added: "There's nothing I can do about it, though, other than accept it, get on with it and hope to show by what I do for Sunderland, just how good a player I am."