Crystal Palace manager Ian Holloway has claimed that he is open to the possibility of keeping striker Kevin Phillips at the club.
Phillips, who is currently on loan from Blackpool, scored the only goal of the match as Crystal Palace beat Watford 1-0 in the Championship playoff final this afternoon, booking their place in next season's Premier League in the process.
The 39-year-old's contract at Blackpool runs out this summer, but Holloway insists that age is not an issue for him as long as Phillips can produce the goods on the pitch.
"If I had to put everything I own on someone smacking it in the net, then I'd put it on Kev. I'll keep signing him until he's nearly 50 or 60, if he keeps putting the ball in the net," the Palace boss said.
"The difficult thing for Kev is living in a hotel once or twice a week because he doesn't need to move his family any more. That's what you lose; you lose that desire. So I don't train him every day. My lads accept that because they know what he does when he does turn up.
"It's his enthusiasm that he needs to keep. It's that little spark inside him, that jiggle. That's what I want to keep. It's your soul inside you. That little vibe when you get up in the morning. I've still got mine. Hopefully he's still got his. I can't wait to see him again and thank him for how well he's played for me."
The match was the first time that Phillips had won a playoff final, having previously played and lost in three.
Barney Corkhill
