Kevin Phillips happy to take the path less travelled in management

Former South Shields manager Kevin Phillips is now in charge at National League Hartlepool (Will Matthews/PA)

Kevin Phillips has no regrets about launching his managerial career away from the limelight in which contemporaries Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney have operated.

The former England striker is currently in charge at National League Hartlepool having started in the seventh tier of the pyramid with South Shields, whereas Lampard and Rooney were both handed their first big chance in the Sky Bet Championship by Derby and Gerrard took up the reins at Scottish giants Rangers.

Phillips had expressed frustration in the past about the lack of opportunities which came his way as he looked for a first managerial job but has sympathy for Lampard, who is out of work after bruising spells at Chelsea and Everton; Rooney, sacked by Birmingham after less than three months; and Gerrard, currently rebuilding his career in Saudi Arabia after being ditched by Aston Villa.

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The 50-year-old told the PA news agency: “When you go to that level, you’re so scrutinised. If you don’t get it right straight away, the media are on you. I’m not saying we don’t have that here, but it’s not Championship, it’s not Premier League.

“There’s still pressure, don’t get me wrong, because you still need to win football matches no matter where you are – and don’t forget, those guys are high-profile names.

“I think if you asked Wayne Rooney what went wrong at Birmingham, he’d probably say, ‘I don’t know’. He tried everything, he had good