Niall Quinn believes Sunderland made the right call to appoint Alex Neil rather than Roy Keane. The Black Cats hierarchy came under fire for a two-week period which saw a number of reports claim their former boss had turned down a move back to the Stadium of Light.
That two-week period of deliberation saw Sunderland fall away from the chasing pack of automatic promotion before Neil was eventually appointed in February. There can be no questioning the impact Neil has had on the squad, taking them from play-off outsiders to winning promotion back to the Championship.
The Black Cats head coach is set for talks regarding his future later this week, after signing a rolling contract earlier this season. Neil will no doubt have a strong hand to play given his success where others have failed.
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Speaking to SkySports, former chairman Quinn said: "Fair play he [Dave Jones] played a role [in appointing Alex Neil]. He didn't pick his mate in TV [Roy Keane] he picked not the public's popular choice but it has paid off."
Sunderland's hierarchy have just over a month so finalise talks with Neil, with the Championship campaign set to start on Saturday 30 July.
