Date / Year of birth: 14th December 1979

Position: Goalkeeper

Season of first appearance: 2002/03

Season of last appearance: 2003/04

Also played for: Millwall (5,0), Bromley, Ashford Town, Croydon, Walton & Hersham, Folkestone Invicta, Dover Athletic, Crawley Town, Swindon Town (129+3,0), Portsmouth (5,0), Dartford and Aldershot Town

6' 1" tall keeper born in Harrow who started his career with Millwall. Phil progressed through the Lions youth ranks to the senior squad and at the start of the 1998/99 season he was loaned to Bromley. He made two Isthmian League appearances there before returning to The Den.

On 29.12.98 Phil made his first team debut for Millwall in a 1-1 draw at Gillingham in Division 2 just after his 19th birthday. Future Margate striker Danny Hockton was an unused sub for the Lions that day whilst the side included Tim Cahill who later enjoyed a lengthy spell at Everton. Phil played four more senior games during 1998/99, enjoying a run in the side from 20.2.99 through to 6.3.99.

In September 1999 he was loaned to Ashford and Phil made 17 appearances in a three month spell with the Kent club. He also fractured his hand during his time at Homelands. Phil didn't play any first team games for Millwall during 1999/00.

He was sent out on loan to Croydon early in the 2000/01 campaign and Phil made four appearances there before returning to Millwall. In November 2000 he was loaned out again, this time to Walton & Hersham.

On 11.11.00 Phil scored the only goal of the game as Walton & Hersham beat visitors Barton in the Isthmian League Onest Division. His long clearance was caught by the wind and bounced over the Barton keeper and into the net. He made eight appearances in all for Walton & Hersham.

In May 2001 Phil was released by Millwall having never added to the five first team appearances he chalked up during 1998/99.

In the summer of 2001 he joined Folkestone and Phil was Invicta's second-choice keeper for the first few weeks of the 2001/02 campaign. Former Margate custodian Kevin Hudson was the regular Folkestone keeper at the time. On 15.9.01 Phil made his only appearance for Invicta in a 2-1 home win over Worcester in the Southern League Premier Division but later in September he moved on to Conference side Dover.

Phil became Dover's regular keeper and on 20.11.01 he played for an FA X1 against a Southern League X1 at Crawley.

Having been released by Dover for financial reasons following their relegation from the Conference Phil had a trial with Forest Green before signing for Margate in July 2002. He was a replacement for Charlie Mitten who'd recently left the club, temporarily as it turned out.

Phil made his debut on the opening day of the 2002/03 season as Margate drew 1-1 with Morecambe at their adopted home in Dover on 17.8.02. He then played in the next four games and the Isle of Thanet Gazette said he was "impressive" in a 3-0 win over Forest Green at Dover on 26.8.02 but after a 2-0 defeat at Leigh on 31.8.02 Phil lost his place in the team as Mitten returned to the club.

Phil sat out the next 25 matches and didn't play in the first team again until 21.1.03 when he took over from Mitten for a 2-1 win at Gravesend & Northfleet in the Conference. From then on he became first-choice. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said Phil was "in-form" in its report on a 2-0 defeat against Hereford at Hartsdown Park on 11.2.03 and the Thanet Times match report for a 1-0 win at Barnet on 15.2.03 was headlined "Smith The Hero As Gate Sting Bees". The paper said Phil "played a blinder" and manager Chris Kinnear said "He was magnificent. Not only with his saves, but with the crosses as well." The Non-League Paper's report on a 3-2 win at Hereford on 29.3.03 had the headline "The amazing Mr Smith baffles Bulls" and said Phil made "a string of superlative saves" in a "breathtaking display". Margate's new coach Kevin Hales agreed and said "He pulled off two or three blinding saves."

On 1.4.03 Phil missed his first game since January when Mitten was given a run-out in a 3-0 win at Erith & Belvedere in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final but he was ever-present until the end of the season after that. The Thanet Times said Phil made a "match-winning save" in a 2-1 win over Halifax at Dover on 5.4.03 as he plunged to his right to claw away a venomous close-range shot that looked a certain goal. The KM Extra newspaper then said he "pulled off the save of the match" to deny future Margate loanee Lenny Piper a goal in a 0-0 draw with Farnborough at Dover on 19.4.03. Phil rounded off a good second half of the campaign by playing as Margate won 2-1 at Welling to clinch the Kent Senior Cup on 30.4.03. He finished the season having played 26 times - exactly half of Margate's 2002/03 matches.

Phil saved a penalty in a friendly against Chelmsford at Billericay on 2.8.03 and had an excellent start to the 2003/04 Conference campaign. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said he "made the save of the night" from a deflected free-kick in a 2-1 defeat against Aldershot at Dover on 12.8.03 and the Thanet Times said Phil "had an inspired afternoon" as Margate lost 2-1 against Chester at Dover on 6.9.03. His form made rival keeper Charlie Mitten a permanent fixture on Margate's bench and on 23.9.03 Phil saved a penalty he'd conceded in a 1-0 defeat against Barnet at Dover, diving to his left to clutch the ball at the second attempt.

Phil's displays earned him a call-up to the England semi-professional squad for a match against Belgium at Darlington on 4.11.03 and he came on as a substitute as the game finished 2-2.

The Non-League Paper said he "made a string of excellent saves throughout" a 3-0 defeat at Chester on 29.11.03 including a "stunning save at the base of his post, diverting a close-range effort". The paper also said Phil "made two top drawer saves" in first half injury time, first clutching a well-struck 20-yard shot and then making another good block almost immediately. When he went off with concussion after 70 minutes, allowing Mitten to make his only appearance of the campaign, Chester's goalkeeper Wayne Brown ran upfield to shake Phil's hand in recognition of his superb display.

In its report on a 2-0 defeat against Shrewsbury at Dover on 14.12.03 the Thanet Times said Phil had been "so often the hero this season" but the Shrews' second goal came about when he went forward for a late corner. The ball was cleared and with Phil at the other end of the pitch a visiting player was able to fire into an empty net. The Thanet Times said he put in an "excellent afternoon's work" in a 3-3 draw with Dagenham & Redbridge at Dover on 6.3.04 and on 28.4.04 Phil picked up his second Kent Senior Cup winners' medal as Margate won 2-1 at Folkestone. He'd been ever-present throughout the campaign, the only Margate player not to miss a match, and made 51 appearances, keeping 14 clean sheets. Phil won the 'Supporters' Player of the Year' award and in its end of season round-up the Isle of Thanet Gazette said it had been a "pretty much a faultless performance from the keeper". The paper added that Phil "deserved his supporters' player of the year award, and his England semi-professional call".

In July 2004 Phil signed for Crawley and went on to make 72 Conference appearances there during 2004/05 and 2005/06 before leaving the club with a year of his contract still to run due to a financial crisis.

Immediately after leaving Crawley Phil played in some friendlies for League Two outfit Swindon and in July 2006 he signed a one-year contract with the club to move back into the Football League just over five years after his release by Millwall.

Phil said "I am pleased to have been made the offer. It has been a tough few weeks but I have had a few opportunities to play and thankfully there has been a contract offer at the end of it, which I will be delighted to sign."

Robins boss Dennis Wise told the Swindon Advertiser he was happy to sign Phil due to his work ethic and said "Phil has come here and worked very hard. He's reliable and that's we were looking for in a keeper, should Peter Brezovan ever get injured. Touch wood he doesn't. Phil is the number two and obviously that means he won't be a regular. He's willing to accept that but he also said that he'll be pursuing the number one position. That's what I wanted to hear from him. That's important. But as I said, he's a hard-working fella anyway. Phil has dealt with things in the matches he's played, so, yes, he's done okay. He made key saves when required and his handling and kicking was good."

Phil responded by saying "It's really good news and I've got a year to prove myself to the gaffer. The manager has made the situation clear and all I can do is work as hard as I can to push for a first-team slot - that's what I'm aiming to do."

Phil didn't have to wait long for a first team chance and made his debut in a 2-2 draw with visitors Brentford in a League Cup tie played on 22.8.06. Swindon lost the tie 4-3 on penalties. He made his first Football League appearance in a 2-1 win at Shrewsbury on 21.10.06 and as 2006 drew to a close Phil became the Robins' regular keeper. By the end of the 2006/07 season he'd played 36 times and Phil had helped Swindon gain promotion to League One.

He started the 2007/08 campaign as first-choice keeper but after losing his place in October 2007 he only had a handful of outings in the new year. In all he made 15 senior appearances.

Phil was the Robins' regular keeper for much of the 2008/09 season but went almost three months without a first team outing from December through to March 2009 and finished the campaign having played 28 times.

He only made ten senior appearances during 2009/10 but Phil played more regularly again during 2010/11 and had 32 first team outings to go past 100 games for the club.

The 2011/12 season was Phil's sixth at Swindon and he was generally new manager Paolo Di Canio's back-up keeper. Phil made a total of 11 appearances as Swindon won the League Two title but he was released in May 2012.

On 21.7.12 Phil played for Cheltenham as they drew 1-1 in a friendly at Evesham and saved a penalty after 68 minutes. He then featured in friendlies for Southend and went on a tour of Spain with them but wasn't signed by the club and started 2012/13 as a free agent.

Phil spent several months out of football before eventually signing for League One club Portsmouth on a one-month contract in December 2012. He ended up spending the remainder of the 2012/13 season with Pompey without making a first team appearance and in May 2013 he signed a new one-year contract.

Phil finally made his debut for Portsmouth when he played in a 1-0 defeat at AFC Bournemouth in the League Cup on 6.8.13. He then featured four times in League Two matches over the course of the next two months before being loaned to Conference club Dartford in November 2013.

Phil's first outing for the Darts came in a 1-0 home defeat against Gateshead on 23.11.13 and he played twice more before returning to Portsmouth in December 2013.

In May 2014 Phil was released by Pompey having not featured in the first team since his loan at Dartford ended.

In July 2014 Phil signed for Conference club Aldershot and said "Straight away, I was interested in signing. It's always seemed like a nice place to come and play. I've played here a few times and always thought that I'd like to be involved at some point. When I was in the Conference, it was one of the places that you wanted to play." The Shots manager Andy Scott explained "He was somebody that we tried to sign on loan last year and he jumped at the chance. He's still desperate to play and we've finally got him. His distribution is good, he talks well, he's got physical presence, and he understands the game. There's an aura about him that will hopefully calm our defenders and know that they've got somebody assured behind them."