Alex Neil regrets 'villain' tag among Sunderland fans ahead of Stadium of Light return

Neil's sudden resignation came at the end of an impressive season which saw Sunderland complete a 17-game unbeaten run on their way to Championship promotion. Credit: PA

Former Sunderland manager Alex Neil says he finds it 'bizarre' that he is 'painted as a villain' on Wearside as he prepares to face the club with Stoke City.

It is the first time the Scot will be back at the Stadium of Light since stepping down as the Black Cats boss to take up his current role.

His sudden resignation came at the end of an impressive season which saw Sunderland complete a 17-game unbeaten run on their way to Championship promotion- angering many Sunderland supporters.

Speaking ahead of the match, Neil said he feels his time at the club is unfairly remembered by some fans.

He said: "People will have their views on it, but they don't know all the different dynamics and aspects of everything that goes on, what's said and what's not said.

"More importantly, for me I think I was as good for Sunderland as they were for me. The team couldn't get out of League 1 for what, five seasons? I delivered that for them.

"I find it really bizarre now that I'm painted as the villain. Everybody's got their different prerogatives."

Neil led Sunderland to the Championship via the play-offs in the 2021/2022 season. Credit: PA

His successor Tony Mowbray said: "I went back to Middlesbrough, I've been back to Blackburn, teams that I spent a good few years at. I think for the individual, and for Alex, I'm not sure whether he's looking forward to it or if there's a bit of trepidation, I'm not sure.

"He's going to want his team to reflect how he wants them to be. For us, we've got our own targets. We lost a couple of games last week and need to get back to winning ways. I'm sure it will be a good football match, a very intense football match.

"For whatever reason, he made a decision and he moved on - but it'll go down in the history books of the football club that he was the manager that got this club out of League 1 and back into the Championship, and hopefully back on an upward journey towards the Premier League at some stage in the future."

Stoke City sit 17th in the Championship, while Sunderland have slipped out of the play-off places following back-to-back defeats.

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