Sam Allardyce says there will be no thoughts of revenge when squaring off against Newcastle United this weekend, with a desire to keep Leeds United in the Premier league his only focus and not what a defeat will mean to the Magpies' own ambitions.
Having managed the likes of Sunderland, West Ham and Everton since departing Newcastle in 2008, a lot of water has gone under the bridge for Allardyce, who does admit his exit from St James' Park was a huge blow to his career and a frustration after setting his sights high at the club.
Pointing to the current success Newcastle are experiencing under Eddie Howe, Allardyce says that's exactly what he intended to have at Newcastle after joining the club from Bolton Wanderers in 2007.
Asked if there would be any thoughts about getting one over his former side, Allardyve said; "No, it was a long time ago, 2007 is a long time ago.
"Was I disappointed? Yes. What did it do to my career? It was a massive knockback, but as always I always recover and move on. It was an opportunity that in the end I couldn't avoid a change of ownership that was unexpected.
"I have no criticism of Mike, it was his club and he did with it what he wanted to do at that time. For me, it was a blow to my career at that time because I wanted to take Newcastle as far as I possibly could, like it's doing now. That was the ambition of myself and Freddie Sheppard but it wasn't to be."
Big Sam succeeded Glenn Roder as manager when agreeing a three-year deal in the summer of 2007, but the arrival of a new manager was soon followed by the arrival of a new owner in Mike Ashley and by the end of the first week of January he was out of a job with Kevin Keegan returning.
