Kevin Phillips has revealed how he worried he had angered Peter Reid before he had even made his Sunderland debut.
Phillips enjoyed a fruitful spell in front of goal at Sunderland and is the club's post war record goalscorer.
In 1999/00 Phillips won the Premier League's Golden Boot, the European Golden Shoe and was selected for England's EURO 2000 squad.
Phillips credits former Black Cats boss, Reid, for unlocking his potential after he joined the club from Watford in 1997, but he has revealed he was worried he had ruined their relationship before it had even began.
"I had forgotten that I had been sent off in my second to last game for Watford," Phillips told Davy Jones' Lockeroom.
"So I was actually suspended for Sunderland's first game away at Sheffield United. I had heard a lot about not getting on the wrong side of Peter Reid and don't do anything to annoy him because it can backfire.
"I only realised I wasn't eligible to play on the Monday before the game on the Saturday. I rang my agent and he said, 'you haven't told him yet?'
"So on the Monday morning we had done some preparation for the Saturday with me in the side. So that was the most nervous I had ever been knocking on Reidy's door to tell him I was suspended.
"To be fair, he didn't go mad at me, he was more mad at the powers be who hadn't informed him."
