Sunderland demand 'swift resolution' to Sam Allardyce England talks in strong club statement

Allardyce was yesterday pictured outside the home of FA vice-chairman David Gill after holding formal discussions over succeeding Roy Hodgson as England boss.

Sunderland have broken their silence over Allardyce's situation and confirmed that the 61-year-old was given the go-ahead to speak with the FA, at his request.

But Sunderland insist they expected the talks to be confidential and still want Allardyce to remain at the Stadium of Light after keeping the Black Cats in the Premier League last season.

Yet Sunderland want the matter to be resolved as quickly as possible, claiming the uncertainty is "extremely damaging" with just a month to go until the new campaign.

A club statement said: "The Football Association contacted Sunderland AFC to seek permission to speak with our manager as part of what was supposed to be a confidential discussion process with potential candidates for the position of England manager.

"At Sam Allardyce’s request, we agreed to this.

"Sam is very much key to our plans. After what was an extremely challenging season, we are keen to see a period of stability, both on and off the field, and we want him to remain as manager of our football club.

"The ongoing speculation over Sam’s position is extremely damaging to Sunderland AFC, particularly at this crucial time of the season and we urge the FA to respect the disruption that this process is causing and bring about a swift resolution to the matter."