"Jermain is top class and probably the best player in this division so of course he gives us a boost; he is a massive player for this club," he says.
"With the other strikers we have got there is good competition for places and any team in the division would welcome someone of his quality back."
Kevin is hoping to do some more of what Jermain does best - scoring goals - after grabbing his first goal for the club he supports against Wigan recently.
"It was great to score - I have waited 20 years for that but I never dreamt it would be a right foot tap-in," he says.
"It was so good to get off the mark, especially at Upton Park, but more importantly we got the three points against a team that were near the top.
"It was nice to score at the end where my family were in a box, so I could go and give them a little wave and I was as happy with that strange one from two yards out as if it had been a 25 yard screamer."
Kevin acknowledges there is extra pressure on the Sunderland game caused by the defeat on Tuesday and he adds:
"We have put ourselves back in it because if we had won we could have gone fourth and set ourselves up nicely.
"We get one foot in there and then seem to slip away and put ourselves back in trouble, but we are big enough and brave enough to deal with it - and whoever puts the shirt on will give 110% which is what is required."
As for that 10 point climb to the top, he adds:
"It is a huge gap but we have dropped the points so anyone else can; we have just got to keep plugging away and get as many good results as possible with a consistent run rather than slipping up.
"If we get it right we will be there or thereabouts."