Steve Phillips (footballer, born 1978)

Steve Phillips

Personal information
Full name	Steven John Phillips
Date of birth	(1978-05-06) 6 May 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Bath, England
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Taunton Town (goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
1996–1997	Paulton Rovers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–2006	Bristol City	257	(0)
1996	→ Gloucester City (loan)
1996	→ Evesham United (loan)
1997	→ Worcester City (loan)
2006–2010	Bristol Rovers	136	(0)
2009	→ Shrewsbury Town (loan)	11	(0)
2009–2010	→ Crewe Alexandra (loan)	28	(0)
2010–2014	Crewe Alexandra	78	(0)
2014	Nantwich Town
2014–2015	Shepton Mallet
2015–2017	Bath City	47	(0)
2016–2017	→ Mangotsfield United (loan)	23	(0)
2017	Mangotsfield United	4	(0)
2018	Yeovil Town	0	(0)
2023–2024	Taunton Town	0	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:38, 15 April 2024 (UTC)

Steven John Phillips (born 6 May 1978 in Bath, Somerset) is an English football goalkeeper, who is currently employed as the goalkeeping coach at Taunton Town.

Career

Phillips began his career playing for Coleford Athletic under 13s, before moving into non-League football with Paulton Rovers. After impressing at Paulton, he moved to Bristol City in 1997, where he went on to make 250 league appearances.

He was replaced in the first team by Adriano Basso early in the 2005–06 season and, despite being in his testimonial season, Phillips never played again for the club.

In the summer of 2006, Phillips moved across the city to rivals Bristol Rovers, where he established himself in the first-team and helped Rovers secure a play-off spot in the 2006/07 season; his performances during the season earned him the club's Player of the Year award. Phillips also won League Two's player of the month award for November 2006, having not conceded any league goals during that month, and the Football League's Golden Glove competition after keeping the most clean sheets for the 2006–07 season.

Following this successful season, Phillips attracted interest from Turkish team Ankara Demirspor; there was also interest from Ankaragücü, but no move came about.

On 26 August 2009, Phillips signed for Shrewsbury Town on a one-month loan deal, which was soon extended. In November 2009, he joined Shrewsbury's league rivals Crewe on a two-month loan with a view to a permanent transfer; he made his Crewe debut against Morecambe in a 2–1 home defeat. On 6 January 2010, Phillips extended his loan with Crewe until the end of the season. He established himself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, but missed the last three games of the season through a shoulder injury.

Along with 14 other players, he was released by Bristol Rovers at the end of the 2009–10 season, ^[1] and, after his successful loan period, joined Crewe on a permanent contract. Having established himself in the team, he was part of the 2011–12 squad who achieved promotion to League One, and was offered a role as player-coach in 2012.

After losing his first team place to Ben Garratt, Phillips left the club at the end of the 2013–14 season to take up a coaching role with Shepton Mallet, while continuing his playing career with his local club Nantwich Town. ^[2]

In June 2015, he joined Bath City, and in 2016 he moved on to Mangotsfield United.

Coaching career

In April 2016, Phillips returned to former club Bristol Rovers as academy goalkeeping coach. ^[3] In September 2017, he joined League Two side Yeovil Town as interim goalkeeping coach following the departure of Sam Shulberg. ^[4]

In September 2023, Phillips joined National League South club Taunton Town as goalkeeping coach; ^[5] he also registered as a player, and was an unused substitute on five occasions. ^[6]

Personal life

Phillips' son Frankie also became a goalkeeper, playing for the academies of both Liverpool and Southampton. He currently plays for Bristol Manor Farm. ^[7]

Honours

Bristol City

• Football League Trophy: 2002–03 ^[8]

Bristol Rovers

• Football League Two play-offs: 2007
• Football League Trophy runner-up: 2006–07 ^[9]

Crewe Alexandra

• Football League Two play-offs: 2012
• Football League Trophy: 2012–13

Individual

• PFA Team of the Year: 2003–04 Second Division ^[10]

References

1. "Defender Aaron Lescott goes in Bristol Rovers clear-out". BBC Sport. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
2. "Crewe Alex: Phillips offered coaching role lure to stay at Crewe". This is Staffordshire. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
3. "STEVE PHILLIPS JOINS ACADEMY COACHING STAFF". www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
4. "First-team make alteration to backroom staff". Yeovil Town F.C. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
5. "Phillips Joins Coaching Team". tauntontown.com. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
6. "England - S. Phillips - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
7. "WELCOME FRANKIE PHILLIPS". bristolmanorfarm.com. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
8. "Bristol City sink Carlisle". BBC. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
9. Hughes, Ian (1 April 2007). "Bristol Rovers 2–3 Doncaster Rovers AET". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
10. "Henry retains PFA crown". BBC Sport. 25 April 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2023.

External links

• Steve Phillips at aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk
• Steve Phillips at Soccerbase
• Bristol Rovers Supporters Club Player of the Year