Sunderland have got their man, with Sam Allardyce signing a two-year deal at the Stadium of Light as he looks to steer the Black Cats away from the relegation zone with 30 games left of the season.
Allardyce, who has been handed the title of manager, a potential indicator that Sunderland are preparing to abandon their horrific two-year experiment with a director of football, has expressed his delight at rejoining the club where he spent a season as a player during the 1980-81 season.
“I have enjoyed my break from football and now I’m raring to get back. I met with Ellis and we spoke at length about the club and his ambitions and I knew I wanted to be part of that.
“I hope to be able to help to bring the stability and success that everyone wants.Of course it’s a challenging job, but it’s something I have experience of in the past. I’m looking forward to working with the players and of course I will be relying on the help of the Sunderland supporters, whose tremendous passion I have experienced first-hand. I can’t wait to get started.”
Club owner Ellis Short has also backed the 60-year old to succeed, claiming that despite media reports of a struggle to find a man to fill the vacancy, the club were in fact inundated with candidates, with Big Sam top of the list.
“I am very pleased to welcome Sam to our football club.Sunderland is a club he knows well and he was the obvious best choice for the job. He has vast experience of managing in the Premier League and an understanding first-hand of the north east and the passion of our fans, which will stand him in great stead.
“I would like to assure our fans that once Dick made us aware of his intention to leave, Lee Congerton oversaw an organised and structured recruitment process, that bore very little resemblance to what has been described in the media.
“For example, this was a very popular job, proactively sought after by a large number of managers – contrary to much of what has been portrayed. The process was made easier by the fact that Sam was such an obvious choice.The other misconception is that Sam had to be persuaded to join us; nothing could be further from the truth. From the very beginning, he understood the importance of this job and showed great enthusiasm for the role and a desire to be part of moving this club forward.”
Allardyce has been out of work since the summer, after being released by West Ham at the end of the season after four years at the club. He brings a vast wealth of managerial experience to the club, having managed Blackpool, Bolton and Blackburn with varying levels of success.
He also managed Newcastle United for a short time, with his new job meaning he becomes the first manager to take charge of both Newcastle and Sunderland.
This is the third time the Brit has had a role at the Black Cats. He captained the Lads in his sole season at the club as a player in 1980-1981, scoring two goals in his 25 league appearances. Allardyce also managed the youth team at Roker Park during Peter Reid’s era.
Allardyce will now turn his focus to next Saturday’s clash at the Hawthorns before an opening home game against bitter rivals and former employers Newcastle United, a fixture the past three managers have failed to lose.
