Morecambe manager's regret over loanee injury

The Huddersfield Town striker joined the Shrimps on a season-long loan last summer, alongside Liam Shaw, Caleb Watts and Jensen Weir.

The absence of Cole Stockton in the early part of the season saw Phillips and Weir take on the goalscoring responsibility.

Phillips netted four in his first 12 games, starting off as the central striker before forming a partnership alongside Stockton.

A dozen matches without a goal followed before the 23-year-old began the year with three in two games.

Then, with Morecambe in the midst of a two-and-a-half week break from action, it was announced Phillips had picked up a long-term injury in training.

Stockton then ended the season with seven goals in the last four games as the Shrimps dropped back into League Two on the final day of the campaign.

Little wonder then that Adams was left wondering what might have been had Phillips remained injury-free.

“Kieran was in a rich vein of form,” the Morecambe boss said.

“Him and Cole Stockton were striking up a good partnership as they were two different types of striker.

“One held the ball up and was big and strong in bringing others into play, while the other ran in behind.

“The two of them would have had a very good partnership, as Kieran – even in the games without Cole – always had opportunities.”

Adding to the sense of ‘what if?’ was the contrast between the start and finish to Stockton’s season.

Twenty-six goals during the 2021/22 campaign inevitably led to summer-long speculation concerning the striker’s future.

Nothing came to pass, meaning Stockton stayed put without initially hitting the heights of 12 months earlier.

He went goalless in the first 19 matches of the campaign and, after 26 appearances, had the same number of goals – two – as bookings.

Ten goals then came in the last 18 matches as Stockton ended the season with 12 to his name.

“The start of the season was unhelpful for us,” Adams admitted.

“He (Stockton) was our main striker: we had taken in other strikers but he was the main one.

“That meant Kieran was having to do it all himself before Cole came back and found some form.”