Alex Neil feels he has been unfairly painted as the 'villain' for leaving Sunderland to take over at Stoke City - but insists he bears neither the club nor its fans any ill-will. Neil led the Black Cats to promotion from League One last season and was regarded as a hero on Wearside, but that only made the manner of his exit at the end of August all the more difficult for supporters to take.
The Scot says 'a lot of untrue things' have been said about him since his departure, however he is not one to dwell on the past. Neil made his first return to the Stadium of Light this weekend and while he was booed by the home fans throughout, he had the last laugh with his Potters side inflicting a humbling 5-1 defeat on his former club.
Asked after the match about his reasons for leaving, Neil said: "I don't want to get into that because, as a manager, there are so many decisions you have to make and you have to protect the integrity of the club - and you have a duty to protect the club and not divulge certain things. What's done is done and I'm not going to get into he-said, she-said, all that.
READ MORE: Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray furious after referee refuses to explain controversial decision
"What's done is done and I don't think that's fair on anyone because when you work closely with people and you try to do your job properly, there are always different dynamics. People who know me here how much preparation and how much thought I put into things, I ain't leaving anywhere or making such a decision without a massive amount of thought - it wasn't a whim.
"I loved it when I was here, we tried to move things forward and I felt that I was as good for Sunderland as they were for me. I was extremely grateful that I was given the opportunity to come here and manage this club because it's an unbelievable club.
"What happens is that it's going to go one of two ways, either they're going to get rid of me or I'm going to leave at some point. I've got absolutely nothing but good things to say about Sunderland.
"What's been disappointing or frustrating for me is that I've probably been painted as a villain to some degree, a lot of negative things and untrue things said about me, which is disappointing but at the end of the day, I'm a big boy and I'm not going to sit here and cry about it. The only reason I enjoyed winning [yesterday] is for the people who really don't understand all the dynamics of what happened and want to label me as the bad guy, because I don't think that's right."
Neil's goal celebrations riled the home fans, but he says there was no malice intended. He said: "I'm certainly not here to agitate anyone and I didn't try to do that [yesterday], but as people here know when I'm at a club, I'm all in and I live and breathe it.
"While I was here [at Sunderland], I gave every single thing I had to the club to try and bring success. Now that I'm at Stoke, it's the exact same. I'm really passionate about my job and my team."
Stoke's win lifted them to 16th in the table, and cut the gap between themselves and tenth-placed Sunderland to six points.
READ NEXT:
- Tony Mowbray apologises to Sunderland fans with his team 'at their worst' against Stoke
- Sunderland player ratings as defence implodes and Stoke City inflict crushing defeat
- Sunderland humiliated by Stoke City as Alex Neil enjoys winning return to the Stadium of Light
- Sunderland confirm two more Championship fixtures will move for live TV coverage
- Tony Mowbray responds to reports Dan Neil is in talks over a new Sunderland deal
