The former Sunderland fans favourite, who completed a £3.25m move to St. Mary's during the last transfer window, cites the home moving as his main reasons why he would have chosen Boro over the Saints.
"To be honest, if there was any chance, I would have gone," Phillips said.
"Being honest, I would have gone because my house that I bought in the north-east was nearer to Middlesbrough's training ground than it was Sunderland's.
"That would have been ideal but obviously it wasn't to be."