Alex Neil has no intention of relitigating his Sunderland exit ahead of his return to Wearside with Stoke City this weekend. Neil took over at Sunderland 12 months ago and spent six months in charge of the Black Cats, leading the club into the play-offs and to promotion at Wembley last summer, before leaving to take over at Stoke at the end of August.
The Scot was treated as a hero by Sunderland fans for ending the club's four-year stay in League One, but his departure left a sour taste with many and he is likely to receive a hot reception when he returns to the Stadium of Light tomorrow. But Neil did not rake over old ground in his pre-match press conference, preferring instead to say he felt 'extremely privileged' to have managed the club and called it a 'great time in my career'.
"In terms of how I left, people will attach their own narrative to that," said Neil. "The one thing I'll say about Sunderland is that I feel extremely privileged to have been given the opportunity to manage that club.
