West Ham boss makes Sunderland admission, change of plan for Dennis Cirkin plus Tottenham's Jermain Defoe offer

David Moyes says his spell at Sunderland was the biggest disappointment of his career and that he made the wrong choice joining the Black Cats.
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Sunderland finished bottom of the Premier League under Moyes during the 2015/16 season, yet the Scot received another chance in the top flight with the Hammers.

“When I look back at it, they had just stayed up with Big Sam (Allardyce),” Moyes told Alan Shearer in an interview for The Athletic, “But it was by the skin of their teeth. I felt I would be able to do the same.

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"And you only have to look at what has happened to Sunderland over the years to see there were bigger troubles there. It’s not just been down to one manager or one incident, so yes I chose wrong. That’s how things can go. It didn’t go so well for me at Sunderland.”

West Ham boss David Moyes.West Ham boss David Moyes.
West Ham boss David Moyes.

Dennis Cirkin stays on Wearside

Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin has stayed on Wearside despite being named in England’s under-20s squad for their upcoming fixtures.

Dan Neil is set to feature for the young Lions, who will face matches against Poland and Germany.

Centre-back Callum Doyle played 66 minutes as England Under-19s beat The Republic of Ireland Under-19s 3-1 in Walsall on Wednesday.

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Ross Stewart was an unused substitute for Scotland in a 1-1 draw with Poland.

Tottenham’s Jermain Defoe offer

Finally, Tottenham have reportedly offered Jermain Defoe a chance to return to the club and complete his coaching badges.

The 39-year-old announced his retirement as a player this week after rejoining Sunderland in January.

According to the Daily Mail, Defoe will be offered the chance to join Spurs on a formal basis once he has finished his qualifications at their training facility in Enfield.

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In a statement to announce his retirement, Defoe wrote: “Football will always be in my blood and it gives me great pride and satisfaction to look back on the blessed career I've had.

"I now look forward to spending some quality time with my friends and family before moving forward to the next chapter in my career.”

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