Alex Neil has now explained the ‘key component’ that urged him to leave Sunderland in 2022.
Alex Neil joined Sunderland in February 2022, almost a year after he had left his previous role at Preston North End.
The Black Cats were left underwhelmed by his appointment, having been linked with a return for Roy Keane. However, the arrival of Neil proved to be a huge success.
The 42-year-old lost only one of his 15 games in charge of Sunderland, before going onto win the play-offs and earn a place in the Championship for the 2022-23 season.
The Wearside outfit were all set up for an exciting first year back in the second tier, with a number of exciting players on the roster.
The team began the new campaign with eight points from a possible 15, but a narrow win over Stoke City proved to be Neil’s first game in charge, before he was spotted in attendance at the Potters’ next game and was soon named their permanent manager.
Neil was the subject of plenty of abuse from frustrated Sunderland fans, but went onto say very little on his decision to leave the Stadium of Light.
However, his sacking by Stoke and Sunderland’s search for a new manager has led to the Scot’s explanation as to why he chose to move to the Midlands.
Speaking on the #EFLDebate YouTube channel, Neil said: “‘The last thing I ever wanted to do was throw fuel on the fire. A lot of people said things about me that were completely untrue.
“At that point, we had just been promoted. The best example I can give you – you sign a striker who then goes and scores 20 goals and says they want a new contract, you would do your best to try and satisfy his needs. We had just been promoted after five or six years of trying, and anybody who was questioning my dedication to Sunderland at that point was crazy because I wanted to be at Sunderland.
“As soon as we got promoted, I wanted discussions to extend my stay and take out a better deal and be part of the club moving forward, because that’s where I saw my future. But the fact was, as far as they were concerned, I had signed my deal and that was the deal that I was on. To me at that point, it didn’t show any faith in me or security. That was really the key component that drove everything after that.”
Was Alex Neil offered a new contract at Sunderland?
Alex Neil was on a rolling contract and perhaps he didn’t like that, but to suggest he wasn’t offered better terms after he won promotion has already been denied by Kristjaan Speakman.
After Neil was linked with Stoke in August 2022, Speakman said: “We had a really well structured contract for when he moved into the Championship and had the appropriate uplifts.
“We had a discussion in the summer because we wanted to reward him and almost provide a well done. That contract was redrawn up and discussed and that was only signed four weeks ago.
“Obviously on yesterday’s news naturally for us wanting to retain that coach and retain that person within our football club, we made a further move to offer another set of terms and just unfortunately, that doesn’t appear enough for him to stay.”
Neil can blame the club for his decision to leave, but unless Speakman is lying, then he had already been offered more money by the club only a month later, before going behind our backs to meet up with the Potters and attend one of their matches shortly before we played our own.
There is no denying what he did for Sunderland and perhaps if he had handled the situation differently then more of us would be open to his return, but he simply can’t be trusted or forgiven.