Soccer: Sam Allardyce today insisted the time was right for him to return to football management after the former Newcastle and Bolton boss was officially unveiled as the new Blackburn Rovers manager at Ewood Park this afternoon.
The 54-year-old rejected the chance to manage the Barclays Premier League club earlier this year. But Allardyce insists he now has the hunger to lift them out of the relegation zone, following the departure of Paul Ince earlier in the week.
He told today's press conference: "Six months ago it was a case of speaking with (chairman) John Williams, going home and talking to my better half.
"After 15 years straight managing and coaching I decided it was too early to jump back into the mainstream.
"Now I can get going in terms of getting my teeth stuck into the job and improving results, certainly in the beginning."
Rovers are second bottom of the top flight with 13 points and Allardyce continued: "It's difficult - an unexpected position I think.
"Everyone here didn't expect the club to be in the position it is. But I've been there before and now the players must respond very quickly.
"You can never say you are too good to go down - clubs have fallen foul of that before - but the players have to play to the maximum of their ability to get us out of trouble, hopefully as quickly as possible."
