David Moyes Remarkably Claims Even Chelsea Boss Conte Would Have Failed to Keep Sunderland Up

David Moyes has remarkably claimed that not even Chelsea boss Antonio Conte could have kept Sunderland in the Premier League last season.

The Scot, who resigned as Black Cats manager in the summer following their relegation to the Championship, spoke to the Daily Mail about how the 2016/17 season went down in the north east.

Backing up claims made by Harry Redknapp that Conte, who led Chelsea to title success last term, wouldn't have had the capabilities to keep Sunderland from falling out of the trap door, Moyes explained just how tough his 12-month stint at the Stadium of Light had truly been.

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He revealed: "I think Harry Redknapp got it right when he said Antonio Conte couldn't have kept up Sunderland last season.

"It was a tough season. Not what I expected. And it was disappointing because I wasn't able to get the results that maybe in years gone by I would have done. But I think there were mitigating circumstances.

"It was a squad that was not at Premier League level. And a squad that had been beaten up a few times and come very close to relegation before. It needed refreshing, but it wasn't possible because of the finances we had available."

Building on the financial aspect of the club, Moyes admitted that he wouldn't have taken the job if he had known owner Ellis Short was giving serious thought to putting Sunderland up for sale - but he did placate those comments by saying he bore no ill-will to the American businessman.

He continued: "I don't feel let down by Ellis Short because he had always wanted me. He had been after me four or five times.

"I think the disappointment was that I didn't know the club was going to be put up for sale. I only found that out two or three months into the job, after we found out there was not going to be any money available in January.

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"Ellis spoke to me a couple of times and said, "Look, I've already put £300m of my own money into this and there's not going to be any more". But I didn't know that beforehand and I wouldn't have taken the job had I known."

Moyes, who is on the lookout for a new job - "I want that winning feeling again" - also reflected on the saga surrounding his slap comment made to a female journalist.

The ex-Everton and Manchester United boss was rounded on after those comments came to light, and he admitted that he should have known better than to joke about such issues.

He added: 'It was a difficult point and I regret it and I apologised to the reporter. She accepted the apology.

"Everybody knows I've been married 30 years, I've got a daughter who once played football for Preston North End. I was a footballer for a long, long time. But I should have done better and I should have spoken better."