Sunderland are still looking to find a replacement for Simon Grayson.
Higginbotham feels that Sunderland should look to appoint a youthful manager, as they aim to get out of trouble.
And the former Black Cats defender feels that if Phillips teams up with Reid at the Stadium of Light then they could be a successful partnership.
“Imagine the uplift if you had someone like Peter Reid there to oversee someone like Kevin Phillips, a young manager who wants a crack at it,” he said.
“What’s important is that the manager who comes in gets the fans on side. It is a big appointment, simple as that.”
Phillips and Reid certainly know Sunderland well, and would be keen to take the club back to more successful times.
Sunderland have been starved of success in recent years, and this season has been a complete disaster.
The Black Cats are currently sat at the bottom of the Championship table, with just one league win to their name all campaign.
There are now genuine concerns that Sunderland could suffer back-to-back relegations, unless they get their next managerial appointment spot on.
At the moment Aitor Karanka and Paul Heckingbottom are the bookies’ favourites to take over at the Stadium of Light.
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