Dwight Yorke has shared his anger after missing out on the Sunderland manager job.
Dwight Yorke, 52, ended his playing career with Sunderland, representing the Black Cats between 2006 and 2009.
The former striker scored nine goals in 62 appearances for Sunderland before stepping into management in 2022.
Yorke took charge of Australian A-League side Macarthur FC in July 2022 and was there until January 2023, winning 10 of his 19 games in charge and winning the Australian Cup.
Yorke has been without a club since, but was reportedly keen on becoming the next Sunderland manager earlier this summer.
Since, the Black Cats have appointed Regis Le Bris on a three-year deal following a four-month stint without a permanent manager in place.
Le Bris arrives after a two-year stint with French outfit Lorient, ending with relegation from Ligue at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Now, Yorke has spoken out on the appointment of Le Bris at the Stadium of Light.
Dwight Yorke fumes at Sunderland manager decision
Quoted by Football League World, Yorke spoke out on Sunderland’s appointment of Le Bris, sharing his disappointing at not landing the job.
Yorke said: “The Sunderland situation is a bit worrying, they clearly didn’t want a good manager when I offered myself to them.
“I don’t know how I get overlooked, I know the Championship is a tough league, but I’ve played in it and won it, I know Sunderland as a club and my ambition of managing in the Premier League fits in with Sunderland’s ambition to get promoted.
“Sunderland have offered the job to someone who doesn’t have the experience of competing in the Championship but may have slightly more experience as a manager than me.
“Often enough, we see those experienced managers struggle and the ones who are hungry, like me, can drive these clubs to success.”
Have Sunderland dodged a bullet with Dwight Yorke
This isn’t the first time that Yorke has spoken publicly about his disappointment in missing out on a job, doing so when he was overlooked for the Aston Villa job in 2021, when Steven Gerrard was appointed.
It seems clear that Yorke is desperate to manage in England. But his lack of experience means he can’t land a top job in the Premier League or Championship just yet, and his temperament may stop him from gaining more experience.
His short-lived stint with Macarthur may suggest a lot about what it’s like to work with Yorke, who boasted a decent record with the club; but the fact that he left so soon could suggest that he wanted too much too quickly, or that he may have been difficult to work with.
And that’s what these latest comments suggest. He had every right to be disappointed about missing out on the Sunderland job, but to call out Le Bris and the Sunderland officials is unprofessional.
Le Bris looks a more steady-headed and calm character, whereas Yorke does not, and it’s a steady-head that Sunderland need after a turbulent 2024 so far.
