Phillips delays debt repayment

Roeder was manager of Watford in 1994, when the now 32-year-old was plucked from the obscurity of Baldock Town and given a chance at Vicarage Road in a deal worth £10,000. Phillips has since changed hands for considerably more, after scoring 166 league goals at Watford, Sunderland, Southampton and now Villa, and the forward revealed his debt to Roeder. "I owe my career to him. He's the one who took the chance on me by taking me from non-league football," the veteran said. "I've got a very high opinion of him. He's had health problems and come through them. Apart from the 90 minutes on Saturday, I wish him all the best."

Roeder is now in temporary charge at St. James' Park after Greame Souness’ recent departure, and is keen to add another three points to the three they earned against Portsmouth last Saturday. That was the Barcodes’ first win in seven, however, and Villa are in fine fettle after a run of one defeat in ten games. David O'Leary looks set to turn to Lee Hendrie and the relatively untried Craig Gardner as midfielders Gavin McCann (suspended) and James Milner (ineligible) will be absent, while Roeder could hand Kieron Dyer a rare start against a club he was famously dismissed against after a fight with the nefarious Lee Bowyer.

The game is given added spice as Aaron Hughes lines up against his former employers while Nolberto Solano returns to Villa Park seeking the strike that would see him reach the 50-goal milestone in England.