Dwight Yorke keen on Sunderland job and hits out at Chris Coleman's 'unacceptable' spell in charge

The 46-year-old former Sunderland player has applied for the manager's job in the past and says he'd be willing to put himself forward again.

He has also hit out at the job Coleman did after taking charge last November.

Sunderland, in the relegation zone when the former Wales boss accepted the challenge, were relegated to the third tier of English football for only the second time in the club's history.

Coleman was sacked on Sunday morning shortly before it was announced Ellis Short had sold the club to an international consortium led by Eastleigh owner Stewart Donald.

The sale is subject to EFL approval, with a new manager appointment to follow.

Yorke, speaking to Dubai Eye FM, said: "I have tried to get it before. I got a call back and it was like a courtesy call saying we got your CV but they went for Chris.

"I can’t knock the appointment of Chris because of what he had done with Wales but I still believe for all of the experience of what he has done, he had 25 games to turn that football club around.

"He failed miserably. For someone of his experience and knowhow and what he was supposed to bring to that football club, I know Chris and I like Chris, but that is a massive, massive disappointment not keeping Sunderland in the Championship.

"Getting relegated to Division One? That is unacceptable.

"Chris is a nice guy and I am sure he will get another job in England because everybody will vouch for him and say what a fantastic manager he is, but if that was me I wouldn’t get another job."

On his own managerial ambitions, Yorke added: "I love that job. If I was to get that job in Division One and I don’t get them promoted I shouldn’t be at the football club.

"I think that is as fair as you can possibly be. I don’t want a four year contract or any of that business, I want to be rewarded for my achievements.

"I am prepared to take that risk, a risk I feel I can overcome. I just need to be given a chance to bring in the people around me to work with the football club.

"I am just concerned about getting the results for this football club to get it back into the Championship and advancing from there.

"But ultimately, if I was given that chance with that team with my mentality, my philosophy, I am sure I would get that football club back in the Championship - without a doubt."

Meanwhile, Steve Harper, who spent the second half of the 2015-16 season at the Stadium of Light, has admitted his disappointment that Coleman was not given the chance to work under the new regime.

He told Press Association Sport: “It's obviously good news about the takeover and the club being debt-free is a big bonus, but the loss of Chris Coleman, it's tempered a little bit by that.

"People say his record wasn't great, but given the circumstances he had to work under, it was a difficult time for him.

"He certainly was making all the right noises, I think he'd made that connection with the fans and it's a shame he's not been given the opportunity to bring them back under new ownership."

Former keeper Harper's time on Wearside coincided with Sam Allardyce's recovery mission, and he admits he did not anticipate what has happened since his departure.

He said: "I was only there as a bit of insurance for a few months, but I did enjoy it and I left a club in the Premier League on a high under Sam Allardyce.

"But very, very quickly, things have changed and double relegation, I didn't see that coming."