Sam Allardyce today opened up about the depth of the challenge he faced at West Ham, saying the club were “broken” when he took charge.

Saturday sees the Sunderland boss return to the Boleyn Ground for the first time since his four-year reign ended last May and in an exclusive interview with Standard Sport he describes winning promotion with the club as “one of the biggest achievements of my career”.

Allardyce kept West Ham in the Premier League for three years but his style of football antagonised some fans and today he addresses the reception that awaits him at Upton Park.

The 61-year-old was appointed in 2011 after the Hammers had finished bottom of the Premier League.

Deloitte Football Money League Top Twenty 20 show all Deloitte Football Money League Top Twenty 1/20 Real Madrid: £439m 2/20 Barcelona: £426.6m 3/20 Manchester United: £395.2m 4/20 Paris Saint-Germain: £365.8m 5/20 Bayern Munich - £360.6m 6/20 Manchester City - £352.6m 7/20 Arsenal - £331.3m 8/20 Chelsea - £319.5m 9/20 Liverpool - £298.1m 2015 Getty Images 10/20 Juventus - £246.4m 2015 Getty Images 11/20 Borussia Dortmund - £213.5m 12/20 Tottenham Hotspur - £195.9m 13/20 Schalke - £167.1m 2016 Getty Images 14/20 AC Milan - £151.5m 15/20 Atletico Madrid - £142.3m 16/20 Roma - £137.2m 17/20 Newcastle - £128.8m 18/20 Everton - £125.6m 19/20 Inter - £125.4m 20/20 West Ham - £122.4m 1/20 Real Madrid: £439m 2/20 Barcelona: £426.6m 3/20 Manchester United: £395.2m 4/20 Paris Saint-Germain: £365.8m 5/20 Bayern Munich - £360.6m 6/20 Manchester City - £352.6m 7/20 Arsenal - £331.3m 8/20 Chelsea - £319.5m 9/20 Liverpool - £298.1m 2015 Getty Images 10/20 Juventus - £246.4m 2015 Getty Images 11/20 Borussia Dortmund - £213.5m 12/20 Tottenham Hotspur - £195.9m 13/20 Schalke - £167.1m 2016 Getty Images 14/20 AC Milan - £151.5m 15/20 Atletico Madrid - £142.3m 16/20 Roma - £137.2m 17/20 Newcastle - £128.8m 18/20 Everton - £125.6m 19/20 Inter - £125.4m 20/20 West Ham - £122.4m

“It was a broken club really, just like any other that has just been relegated,” he told Standard Sport. “It was the first time in my managerial career I had gone into a club that had just gone down.

“There was no time to wait and see. First and foremost, we had to resolve the financial devastation that relegation inevitably brings. Some of the most expensive players had to go and I had to do what I could to sell others who didn’t want to stay. After all that, you had to rebuild the team as quickly as possible to help achieve what everyone expected really, promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt. It’s not as easy as that, though, nowhere near. You are dealing with an undercurrent of negativity across the board.

“It was a pretty big task but we made it and, looking back, it was one of the biggest achievements of my career.”

Allardyce’s relationship with some of the supporters was summed up by the match against Hull at Upton Park in March 2014 when the team were booed off, despite winning 2-1.

“Whatever happens [with the fans on Saturday], it’s not one of those things that will be a complete surprise,” said Allardyce. “It is what it is. People will have their opinion, whether I think it’s right or wrong. They have paid their money.”

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic today paid tribute to his predecessor and said: “Sam did great for West Ham. He has managed for 20 years very successfully, and he took West Ham at a moment when we were in the Championship. He got us up straight away and stabilised us in the Premier League, so he did a great job here.”

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