SOUTH Shields – Warrington Town's next opponents – will have a former England international in the dugout when they visit Cantilever Park on Saturday.

Yesterday, the Tyneside club confirmed ex-Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips as their new manager, replacing the long-serving Graham Fenton.

The Mariners are due to face Ashton United tomorrow but Phillips will watch from the stands, meaning his first game in charge will be Saturday's promotion showdown with Yellows.

Phillips has never held a managerial role but his distinguished playing career saw him become a household name in the north east in particular thanks to his 130-goal haul for Sunderland, which included winning the Premier League Golden Boot award in the 1999-2000 season.

He also played for Watford, Southampton, Aston Villa, West Brom, Birmingham, Blackpool, Crystal Palace and Leicester, as well as winning eight England caps.

"I am absolutely delighted to come on board, having been given the opportunity," Phillips said.

"I've never been shy in saying I'd love a crack at management when the right opportunity arose, and (chairman) Geoff (Thompson) completely sold this club to me.

"The club is in an area I know very well and have a great affection for, and coupled with that it has great ambition and a vision to grow. I'm licking my lips to be part of it.

"This is my first taste of management so I'm eager to get going and I'm very, very excited.

"I'd like to thank Geoff Thompson for giving me this opportunity. I'm very grateful for it and am looking forward to working with Geoff and everyone connected with the club.

"The club is very ambitious and is an exciting place to be, which is demonstrated by the investment which has been made in the team and the facilities.

"There's a lot of hard work to do but I'm really looking forward to being part of it and hopefully helping the club move forwards."