Sunderland stole Watford for a six-figure deal that will be worth millions in 2024: View.

When Sunderland bought Phillips from Watford, he was already a successful forward. The striker made 59 appearances with the Hornets and scored 24 goals in the First and Second Divisions.

After being relegated from the Premier League the previous season, the Black Cats sought to improve their front line, which had the third-lowest amount of goals in the league.

Sunderland bought the 22-year-old English striker for an initial fee of £325,000 after seeing his potential. Looking back at the fee today, Watford must be ripping their hair out given what he achieved.

Kevin Phillips became a Sunderland legend.

Phillips quickly established himself as a legendary player for Sunderland after joining the club. During his first season, the striker scored on his league debut against Manchester City and went on to score 28 goals.

Phillips scored goals with ease in the First Division, and when the ball came to his foot, there was only one conclusion. In the next season, the striker scored 23 goals in 26 games, bringing his total across two seasons to 54 goals in 69.

When the Black Cats joined the Premier League, several questioned if the former Watford player could maintain his prolific form on the grandest platform. Little did they realize that the striker would establish a record that has only been equaled by Harry Kane.

Phillips scored 30 goals for the Wearsiders during his first season in the top level, earning the Golden Boot and European Golden Shoe awards.

Since Phillips’ performance in 1999/2000, Kane is the only English player to have scored 30 goals in a single season, having done it in 2017/18 and 2022/23. Kane is the only English player to win the European Golden Shoe since Phillips, scoring 36 goals in Bayern Munich’s 2023/24 Bundesliga season.

Phillips scored 31 goals for the club before joining Southampton after their relegation in 2003. Despite his departure, Phillips was regarded as a modern-day icon at Sunderland. Players like him are uncommon.

He not only scored goals, but also exemplified the way Sunderland played. His relationship with Niall Quinn is considered the best Black Cats tandem of contemporary times.

Kevin Phillips would be worth a fortune in the current market

If Phillips were playing now, he would undoubtedly be worth exorbitant sums of money.

Goal-scoring attackers are expensive, perhaps equivalent to a few bottles of olive oil. When they are English, their prices become progressively incomprehensible.

While Phillips lacked the international experience of others, he was deadly at the club level. Given that Kane was sold to Bayern for a reputed £100 million at age 30, it raises the issue of how much Phillips might have cost.

Although it will never be known how much teams would have spent for the forward, it is reasonable to assume he would not have been cheap.

When Sunderland recruited Phillips from Watford, he was already a goal scorer, but no one expected him to leave such a legacy at Stadium of Light.

During his tenure at Sunderland, Phillips established himself as a legend, and no other player has been able to match his goalscoring abilities.

In today’s market, the striker would likely be worth roughly the £100 million Bayern spent for Kane in 2023.

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk