If any Championship managers are on the lookout for a bargain this summer then they should glance no further than Kevin Phillips at Birmingham City. While the diminutive striker will reach the grand old age (in footballing terms) of 37 this summer, there will not be too many more potent finishers available on a free transfer at the end of this season.

Age shouldn’t be much of a deterrent to any potential suitors because Phillips has scored regularly throughout his thirties and has again in recent months confirmed that his ability to be in the right place at the right time has not diminished with advancing years. Starting regularly in the Premier League may be too much to ask from him now, but I’m sure he can still have an impact at Championship level. This year he has been restricted to substitute appearances but the late double against Wolves and his even later equaliser against Arsenal show that his striking instinct cannot be questioned. That injury time strike against the Gunners was his 250^th goal in football and demonstrates the consistency with which Phillips has hit the back of the net during his professional career.

He said: “It means a lot to get to 250 goals. It has been a great career and it is certainly not over yet. I've built a career on putting the ball away when it comes into the box. You don't just lose that overnight. I will lose my legs eventually. I am not a player who will run past players at pace. But, give me the ball in the box, and I'd like to think a good percentage of the time, I'll put it in the back of the net.”

Since making his way to St Andrews in 2008, Phillips has shown his knack for penalty area poaching is not on the wane and his 14 goals last season helped fire the Blues back into the top flight. He was also prolific in his two years at West Brom as well – both of which were spent in the Championship – hitting the net 46 times in 81 games for the Baggies. But his two-year contract with Alex McLeish’s side is now coming to its end and I would imagine the second tier is where Phillips will once again find himself come August, and the former England striker is not prepared to drop any lower than that.

He said: “Someone said to me, who is well respected in the game, that you want to play at the highest level as long as you can. It is easier to go down than to come back up. I won't be one of those players in three or four years time who will still be playing in the lower divisions. The Championship is as far down as I would go.”

And what about the prospect of venturing into the world of coaching and using his considerable experience and knowledge to help with the development of others?

Phillips said: “You just never know, you might get a call at the end of the season to become a player coach. As long as you've got the qualifications, then I would look at that although I'm not saying I'd definitely do it. At this stage of my career, I just want to concentrate on playing for next season. I am definitely going to play on for another season. I feel fit to play on for another year or two, definitely another year. I'm not ready to retire yet.”

I’d imagine there will be a number of managers in the queue to snap Phillips up. He is always likely to grab a goal every other game and even if he was only able to start 20 games next year that could prove to be valuable any team in the Championship. A club who is looking to finish near the top of the table and likely to create plenty of chances would be absolutely ideal for Phillips because he is one of those forwards who will produce the goods if he has the service. Every side needs a consistent goal scorer and it will be interesting to see where this one ends up over the coming months.