Wilko keen to keep Phillips

The Black Cats favourite has struggled to recapture the form that saw him win the Golden Boot in the 1999/00 season but Wilkinson still insists Phillips is one of his key performers.  

"Will he go? I can't say no, there will be no circumstances under which Kevin will leave, but I would like to keep my best players and he is one of those," said Wilkinson.   

The former Watford man gestured towards the Sunderland crowd after being dragged off in the 3-0 defeat by Manchester City last Monday and Wilkinson admitts the 29-year-old regretted what he did.  

"He is deeply, deeply sorry and regretful for that gesture which emanated from a deep frustration and which was made towards a very close member of his family," said the former Leeds coach.

"It's 13 goals in 56 games, or something like that, over the last how many months? He's finding it very, very difficult and gone from Golden Boot to . . . ?

"Had Michael Owen been in a similar position I don't think he would waltz off the pitch whistling `Yellow Brick Road', would he?"