Nigel Pearson praises Kevin Phillips

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson has heaped praise on Kevin Phillips for the striker's late goal against Bournemouth that earned his side all three points in a 1-0 win.

Although there were doubts whether the ball totally crossed the line, Pearson said that Phillips's immediate celebration convinced him that the officials made the correct decision to award the goal.

"Kevin is a striker and is smiling, he knows he has scored," Pearson told Sky Sports News. "I have not had a clear look at the incident and the goal but the assistant seemed pretty sure it went over the line.

"I know that he will contribute very positively to our season both in terms of what he can do on the pitch and off the field as well. He has a lot of experience.

"He is a goalscorer and his anticipation is excellent, he is in his 40s so won't be as quick as he was 16 years ago but still creates a lot of space and time for himself because of his understanding of the game."

The Foxes are currently on an eight-match winning run.