Sunderland manager.
Sunderland have appointed Sam Allardyce as their new manager
to replace Dick Advocaat.
The former West Ham and Newcastle United boss has been
handed a two-year contract at the Stadium of Light.
"I have enjoyed my break from football and now I'm raring to get
back," Allardyce said in a statement on the club's website.
"I met with (chairman) Ellis (Short) 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."
Advocaat, who had impressively kept Sunderland up last
season, announced his decision to leave the club following their
2-2 home draw with West Ham on October 3.
Sunderland are 19th in the Premier League, having picked up
just three points from their opening eight matches, while they
were knocked out of the League Cup by Manchester City.
Short described Allardyce as the "obvious best choice for the
job" and hit out at media criticism of the club's recruitment
process, which followed news sporting director Lee Congerton
was seeking to leave the Stadium of Light soon after Advocaat's
departure.
"I am very pleased to welcome Sam to our football club,"
Short said.
"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 left West Ham by mutual consent in the close-season
after four largely successful years at Upton Park. While many
fans never quite warmed to his style of play, he led them to
promotion in his first season before finishes of 10th, 13th and
12th in the top flight.
The 60-year-old played for Sunderland over one season
between 1980 and 1981, while he previously managed the club's
fierce rivals Newcastle, lasting only 18 months in the role after
proving largely unpopular with supporters at St James' Park.
Allardyce has also managed Bo
lton Wanderers and Blackburn
Rovers in the Premier League.
His first match in the new role will be the away game against
West Brom on October 17, before a big derby against fellow
strugglers Newcastle the following week.
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