Former West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has stated that he thinks Sunderland are a bigger club than the London outfit.
The outspoken manager was at the Boleyn Ground helm for four years and led the Hammers to the Premier League following relegation.
He left West Ham last summer and has since taken up a role with the Wearside outfit, where he is embroiled in a relegation dogfight.
Allardyce has confessed that he considered retiring following leaving the Boleyn Ground but the opportunity to manage at the Stadium of Light was too good to turn down.
“I contemplated retirement. I rotated as a pundit at the start of the season, I didn’t think a job I wanted would come up as soon as it did. It caught me by surprise. I couldn’t say no to Sunderland,” he told The Telegraph.
“I do have an emotional bond. It’s a huge club. It’s a bigger club than West Ham, or at least it is prior to West Ham’s move into the Olympic Stadium.
“I think the thing that makes it unique up here is the percentage of people who live in Sunderland who come to support their team every week. It far outweighs other towns and cities across the country.”
Allardyce was a figure that split the West Ham fans over his tenure at the club, with his style of play not suiting a supporter base that craves excitement and attacking football.
The Hammers have turned to Slaven Bilic this term and are in the running for potential Champions League qualification, with a bright future for the London club.
