Sam Allardyce has revealed to talkSPORT why he has turned down the chance to become Newcastle United manager for a second time.

The former England boss was ‘flattered’ after being approached over a return to the St James’ Park hotseat, which he briefly held from 2007 until 2008.

But Big Sam explained on the Sports Breakfast this morning that it didn’t take long for him to reject the opportunity to succeed Rafael Benitez, who left the club at the end of June.

3 Sam Allardyce has been out of management since leaving Everton last summer

He said: “I was very flattered that I was considered but it’s that thing… don’t go back.

“It never got to the type of talks people are suggesting but it wasn’t for me. I politely said ‘no’.

“I never got to talk to Mike Ashley. My agent contacted me, I had a think about it and a quick look at the situation and thanked them very much but it’s not for me.

“Maybe if it was the first time around I would have jumped at it. I appreciate the offer but I was surprised, I’ve not worked for a full season.

“It wasn’t something I thought about for too long.

“I thought it’d be better to make a quick decision for everyone. We’re in pre-season now and they’re back in training.”

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Allardyce was sacked by Newcastle in January 2008, after just 24 games in charge, with the club 11th in the Premier League at the time.

Opening up on that period, he said: “It wasn’t pleasant in the end but it was in the middle of the takeover.

“I had a fabulous start but we were desperate for better players. I was trying to forge forward and they wanted to go in another direction and I have no problems with that. It was handled brilliantly by Mike and his staff at the time.

“The fans are a bit more tolerant now. They were very good with Rafa because there’s not as much money as other clubs have got and were a bit more patient.

“The transfer market is the hardest part of the job at the moment and getting the right players to go to Newcastle, listening to what Rafa said before, has been a tough job.”

Getty 3 Steve Bruce is the surprise favourite for the Newcastle job following Rafael Benitez’s exit

Another former Sunderland manager, Steve Bruce, is now at the top of Newcastle’s shortlist to succeed Benitez and a formal approach for the Sheffield Wednesday boss is understood to be imminent.

Allardyce believes Bruce would love to be offered the position, adding: “If he gets offered the job I’ll think he’ll jump at the chance.

“I think it would be one of his dreams to manage his hometown club.”

Allardyce is not ruling out a return to Premier League management but insists the job has to be right for him to get back in.

The 64-year-old, whose last top-flight job at Everton ended in May 2018, added: “I wouldn’t rule it out but the offer that attracts me may not come now.

GETTY 3 Allardyce left Everton last summer after the fans didn’t take to his style of football

“Before I’d (be) ‘I’ll come and try to save you, can I do something here, yeah, let’s go’.

“But what happened at Everton really did disappoint me. This was supposed to be taking the club forward and I never got that chance – and that still rankles with me.”