Back in the days when Sunderland were finishing seventh in the league, Peter Reid suggested how signing Phillips for £7m or £8m would have in some fans opinion proved he was doing his job right. However, plucking Phillips from obscurity before turning him into a household name and a capped England international within three years actually had already showed how remarkable a job he had done. After an initial outlay of £350,000 for the unknown forward, Phillips took little time to show his instinct in front of goal, scoring on his league debut at the Stadium of Light for the Black Cats. Though Sunderland made a rather stuttering start and despite picking up goals early in his Wearside career, it wasnt until Reids side started to go in the right direction that Phillips proved a lethal marksman. The manager had the vision of a strike combination of Quinn and Phillips. Reidy believed, I knew once we got the pair of them together, we had a chance. So it proved, from an unremarkable start to the season to perhaps the form side from January, Sunderland made up ground on the sides above them, bolstered by Phillips hot streak in front of goal. Super Kev had well and truly paid his fee back surpassing the 30 goals mark en route to a Wembley play-off final which he would also grace with a goal. In fact, it would be his 35th of a brilliant debut season. That final goal of the season for Super Kev would cost the club an extra £300,000 of agreed fees but over time he would become the club's post-war record goal scorer with 130 in total. Super Kev would be the finest bargain buy of all time. Had he cost ten times his value, the club would still have underpaid for one of the most remarkable players to ever pull on the red and white stripes. Which other low cost heroes deserve mention on this list? Share your own thoughts below in the comments thread.
