Former Sunderland favourite Dwight Yorke has held talks over the vacant manager’s position.
Yorke, who played more than 50 games for the Black Cats over three seasons, admitted that he was “very lucky to get a conversation” with the club’s hierarchy.
Talks were, however, premature, with Yorke admitting that he tried and failed in becoming Sunderland’s new boss.
“I tried to get the Sunderland job recently,” the 45-year-old said.
“I’ve been very lucky to get a conversation and that’s all it was. Then, of course, the owner’s looking to sell, a consortium of people are looking to buy the club so it’s always a little tricky in that sense.
“That was the last job I tried to apply for.”
Yorke has been keeping close tabs on Sunderland’s Championship rivals Aston Villa’s demise over recent seasons, with the ex-Villa striker applying for that job none other than THREE times.
However, despite not even getting an interview with Villa, Yorke says he “knows what it takes” in the Championship having won the division at a canter with Sunderland back in 2007.
He added: “They’ve got a great support and again, a club I played for so I can understand what it takes. As I’ve said, I have the experience of playing in the Championship for six months and winning that league.”
The Trinidadian has previously spoken out about the lack of opportunities being given to young and unproven managers.
Yorke, though, says experience isn’t everything and cited former teammate Jaap Stam’s success at Reading last year as a prime example of what can be achieved if given an opportunity.
“I know what it takes,” added Yorke, who was deployed as a holding midfielder during his Sunderland days.
“People say you need loads of experience for the different levels and all that kind of business. You look at managers, in terms of their lifespan these days, their very low so you just want to go in there and try to bring a team that people understand.
“You could be an experienced manager or a non-experienced manager, if players don’t buy into what you’re saying you’re never going to get anywhere, no matter how much experience you’ve got.
“You’ve seen experienced people fail, you’ve seen new people been given a chance and been successful – people like Jaap Stam, first time.
“Look at Gareth Southgate, what has he done? He’s at England at the top of the tree.
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t and, if you get a good feel to it, that’s how it is.”
When asked what sort of football does a Dwight Yorke team play, Yorke said: “Attacking football.
“There’s another side of football as we all know, but what’s the point of playing football and being negative?
“I’m not a negative kind of person. I assume, from my conversation, that doesn’t exist.
“We play attacking football but in the right way.
“At times you’ve got to close up shop and play a certain way but I would like to line-up in an attacking formation.”