KEVIN PHILLIPS returns to the North-East with Blackpool this afternoon and Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray seriously considered bringing him back earlier.

Phillips moved to Bloomfield Road in the summer after leaving Birmingham City at the end of his contract and, despite his age, he has scored seven goals in his first 15 appearances for the Seasiders.

As well as the financial package that would have been required to land the 38-year-old, there was also question marks over whether or not the former Sunderland man still had the legs to deliver at the top end of English football's second tier.

Mowbray had Phillips, who was the Black Cats' post-war record goalscorer with 115 in 209 league appearances, during his time at West Brom and he will be warning his Boro defence to be on their guard today.

"We never got to discussions with Kevin this time," said Mowbray. "I didn't study a lot of him at Birmingham last year, so I wasn't sure what he would have been like.

"But it was a brave and ultimately good decision by Ian Holloway to bring him in. Great credit to them both. Kevin is still so clinical but very clever in his mind.

"If you look at his days at Sunderland with Niall Quinn, how athletic and sharp he was, he has had to change his game. Kevin has turned into a clever centre-forward who doesn't have to beat you with his speed. He beats you with his brain.

"I'm sure he is proud of his record and why call it a day when you are still doing it. If he keeps doing it then why would he not go again next season.

"He was the European Golden Boot winner and no-one can ever take that away from him. He is a good pro, a good man and he loves football."

Phillips has been one of the key reasons Blackpool, after a tricky start, have climbed into the top six to revive a club that had seen many changes since relegation from the Premier League.

"Credit to them, the likes of Charlie Adam, Luke Varney, David Vaughan and DJ Campbell have all gone, he has rebuilt a team," said Mowbray.

"They have lost key players since the summer, but Barry Ferguson is a high quality footballer and Kevin Phillips is still banging them in at 38-years-old. They will be dangerous."

With Phillips scoring for fun for Blackpool, Mowbray hopes his own striker with a low centre of gravity can build on his first goal in 11 matches after hitting the winner against Watford in his last outing.

He said: "I was not overly concerned with Scott McDonald's performances levels, it was just that he had not scored for a while so it became psychological. Hopefully because he scored in his last game it will have taken any anxiety away and he can go on a run of goals."