Allardyce believes his time at the club as a player and as a coach under Peter Reid has given him an insight into Sunderland.

The former Bolton manager is the favourite to get the job - despite his unsuccessful spell at north-east rivals Newcastle, which led to his sacking almost a year ago.

Allardyce said: "I've said over the last few days that I would like to get back into managing a football club - and I'm bound to be linked with Sunderland at the moment.

"There's been no official contact, but I know what a great club it is.

"I've worked there twice before - once as a player and once as a coach with Peter Reid - so I know what it needs.

"But we'll just have to wait and see."

Allardyce insists that his break from management has done him good and he is ready to return to the fray "with all guns blazing".

He added: "There's been one or two positions I've talked about but I haven't felt it was right for me to go at that particular time or for whatever reason.

"I really feel I'm ready now.

"Having done almost 16 years on the trot in management, I needed a break - and the break had to be long enough for me to come back with all guns blazing."

Allardyce has also been mentioned as a potential successor to Blackburn's under-pressure manager Paul Ince.

Meanwhile, Sunderland's Northern Ireland striker David Healy is hoping the change of manager will lead to more opportunities for him to make his mark after his £1million move from Fulham in the summer.

"Last Saturday was the first time in about three weeks that I have been in the squad for a game," Healy told the Belfast Telegraph.

"There was a squad of 20 who went down to Old Trafford. As a footballer, you don't like to be sitting at home on a Saturday watching the scores coming in on the television. You want to be playing; you want to be involved.

"I have no regrets at all about going to Sunderland. My only regret is that I haven't played enough first-team football.

"People start questioning my ability, questioning if I am good enough. But I am big enough to take the criticism with the good and I've learned to live with that. I have been through a lot more lows with Northern Ireland than I have at club level.

"Given the opportunity in games and given enough time on the pitch, I still feel I am good enough to contribute and win some games to push us up the table.

"I want to perform up there; I want to prove myself to the people of Sunderland.

"I was sitting beside Niall Quinn at Old Trafford, and we'd a chat about football and the match. I want to prove to him that I am worth the money that he paid to Fulham to take me."