Sam Allardyce appointed Leeds United manager: has former England boss ever been relegated? Premier League record

Leeds United have sacked their manager Javi Gracia with the former England boss Sam Allardyce taking his place. The Spanish boss joined Leeds on a “flexible contract” back in February following the sacking of Jesse Marsch, but he has won just three out of 11 league games in charge and the Yorkshire club currently sit 17th in the Premier League, above the relegation zone only on goal difference.

After days of specualtion, the club have confirmed the appointment of the former Bolton, West Ham and Everton manager Sam Allardyce. The 68-year-old has been out of work since the end of the 2020-21 season when his West Brom side were relegated from the Premier League.

Leeds face the toughest end to the season out of the clubs currently battling relegation with Manchester City and Newcastle up before a visit to West Ham and then a home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur to end the campaign.

Speaking to talkSPORT after his appointment, Allardyce said: “I was shocked. I never thought at this stage of the season (this would happen). I thought there would be no jobs. I could have done more with time, but we’ve got four games and hopefully I can keep this fabulous club in the Premier League.”

Here is all you need to know about the potential new manager of Leeds United...

What is Sam Allardyce’s Premier League record?

Sam Allardyce’s time at West Brom marked the only time he has been relegated from top-flight football. Following a 20-year playing career, in which he played as a defender for clubs such as Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield and West Brom, Allardyce moved into coaching.

He began as a player-manager for Limerick before becoming caretaker manager at Preston North End. Allardyce then spent stints at Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Everton before joining West Brom in 2020. He has an overall win percentage of 38.8% with his best figures coming when he was player-manager at Limerick.

During his time at West Ham, Allardyce worked with the Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear. If he were to sign with the side, he would become their fourth manager this season, including interim bosses.

In the Premier League, his managerial record stands at 537 matches, with a 33% win percentage. He also has an average of just 1.26 points per game, however his time with West Brom marked his first relegation in 17 seasons of managing.

Did Sam Allardyce manage England?

Following Roy Hogson’s departure in 2016, Allardyce signed a two-year contract to become the England manager. He won what would be his first and only game in charge on 4 September as England beat Slovakia 1-0 on the opening day of qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, the Daily Telegraph had reporters pose as businessmen offering to give advice to the new England boss on how to get around FA rules on player third party ownership and negotiating a £400,000 deal subject to FA approval.

Allardyce left his role with the Three Lions by mutual consent and while he was cleared of any wrongdoing, he admitted he had been a “fool.”