Ex-Sunderland boss' stunning offer to Cats chief executive in wake of double relegation

The former Wales man took over at the Stadium of Light after Simon Grayson was sacked during the 2017/18 Championship season but could not prevent the Black Cats slipping into League One.

After relegation was confirmed, the at-the-time owner Ellis Short struck a deal to sell the North East club to current chairman Stewart Donald, a move which saw the club axe their underperforming boss.

But during an interview with The Athletic, the ex-Sunderland manager claimed new owner Donald didn’t have “one conversation” with him before his sacking in April 2018.

Coleman, however, then revealed details of a stunning offer made to then chief executive Martin Bain after the club’s Championship fate was confirmed.

“We were only there five months,” Coleman explained. “I was asked when we were going down, by Martin Bain, would I take a pay cut. I said, ‘Absolutely. Rip my contact up. We’ll start again. You can’t pay me that in the next division.’

“But we never got the chance to even discuss that because the new owners came in and we were out. They went their own way, which they’re entitled to do.”

After leaving the North East, Coleman took a job at Chinese club Hebei China Fortune.

The former Fulham boss fell out of favour after joking he had “socks older than this club” and was once again sacked after a poor run results.