Sam Allardyce was head coach of West Bromwich Albion, his eighth Premier League club, from December 2020 to May 2021.
Allardyce made his managerial bow in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers, where he spent much of his playing career. The Englishman also represented Millwall, Coventry City, Preston North End and even Sunderland between 1980-81.
Having turned his hand to management, Allardyce would achieve promotion to the top flight with Bolton in his second season in charge during the 2000/01 campaign.
After two seasons securing Bolton’s safety in the Premier League, an eighth-place finish followed in the 2003/04 campaign.
That feat was bettered in 2004/05 as Bolton finished sixth in the table and subsequently qualified for the UEFA Europa League.
In 2007 he was appointed Newcastle United manager after eight successful years with Bolton and although he parted company with the Magpies in January 2008, he was back in management in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers the next season.
Two mid-table finishes followed for Rovers under his guidance before he departed the Lancashire club in December 2010.
Appointed West Ham United manager in June 2011 after the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League, Allardyce was given the job of returning the club straight back to the top flight of English football.
He fulfilled that task as West Ham beat Blackpool in the Championship Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium, with West Ham then securing safety in the 2012/13 Premier League season with two matches to spare.
After a 13th-place finish was followed by another mid-table position at the end of the 2014/15 season, Allardyce departed West Ham as his contract expired.
It led to him taking charge of his fifth Premier League club as Sunderland were seeking a replacement for Dick Advocaat.
After being appointed in October 2015, Allardyce successfully avoided relegation as the Black Cats lost only one of the final 11 matches.
Prior to the 2016/17 season, Allardyce was chosen as the next England manager with Sunderland announcing the departure of "Big Sam" on 22 July 2016 before leaving the national job two months later.
He took over as manager of Crystal Palace on 23 December 2016, a day after the departure of Alan Pardew, with the club lying in 17th position in the Premier League with 15 points from 17 matches.
Palace recorded victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool under Allardyce to help the club achieve another season in the top flight, but he announced his departure at the end of the season to take a break from football.
In November 2017, Allardyce was announced as Everton manager, guiding the Toffees to an eighth place finish before departing the club at the end of the season.
Allardyce returned to management more than two years later following the departure of Slaven Bilic at West Brom on 16 December 2020.
The Baggies were 19th in the table with seven points from 13 matches when he arrived, but Allardyce was unable to guide the club to safety, suffering his first relegation from the Premier League after 17 seasons as a head coach in the top flight.
David Moyes and Sam Allardyce shake hands after the match
