Source: Team_Talk
Phillips frustrated at St Andrew's
The 36-year-old has been used mainly from the bench so far this term making just one start at home to Stoke.
However the striker reminded manager Alex McLeish of his talents when he came on as a late substitute at home to Bolton and scored within eight minutes of his introduction.
Despite Phillips admitting that McLeish outlined to him at the start of the season that he would be used as more of an impact player this term, the former Sunderland ace insists sitting on the bench is still hard to take.
"I have got to this stage of my career by playing virtually all my career," he told Sky Sports News.
"I want to start games but the manager has it in his mind what he wants to do. If I'm sitting on the bench not wanting to start games then there's a problem.
"If I'm happy to sit on the bench, which I'm not, so all I can do is when I come on do what I did Saturday and put the ball in the back of the net and give the manager a bit of a headache.
"It remains to be seen whether I can do that throughout the season but coming on Saturday I felt sharp and I would like to start some games."
With Christian Benitez flying back to Ecuador to be with his father following a car crash, Phillips could feature from the start against Burnley at the weekend and the frontman knows he must take his chance when it does eventually arrive.
"The manager told me the beginning of the season he was going to use me as an impact player this year," he added.
"But I have got to be patient because there is going to be injuries and loss of form and there is going to come a time when I am starting games so I have just got to keep myself right, keep fit, and keep focused."
Burnley 5/4, Draw 9/4, Birmingham 9/4
