SAM ALLARDYCE has dramatically quit Crystal Palace, but the Sunderland fans hoping for a sensational return to Wearside will be left disappointed as the search begins for David Moyes’ successor.

While the Black Cats’ post-war record goalscorer Kevin Phillips is understood to be interested in the post at the Stadium of Light, the chances of Allardyce moving back into the manager’s office he vacated last summer have been dashed.

The bookmakers were quick to throw the 62-year-old’s name into the mix and install him as the favourite after it emerged he was ready to walk out on Palace after just six months in charge. But in a statement Allardyce has indicated he has "no ambitions to take another job."

Following relegation from the Premier League and Moyes’ decision to quit after sensing he had lost the faith of the players as well as the supporters, there are calls for Sunderland to move quickly.

But chief executive Martin Bain and the club’s owner Ellis Short – who was furious with how Allardyce left for the England job last July - are keen to take stock and compile a list of suitable contenders first.

Allardyce would clearly have fallen into that bracket after the way he steered Sunderland to safety during his time in charge and brought incredible noise to the Stadium of Light before departing.

He has felt reinvigorated over the last few months after helping Palace to survive following the bitter disappointment of losing the England job after only one game. But he looks set to call it a day on a high after his success at Selhurst Park.

Allardyce said: "There comes a time when you have to take stock of what direction you want your life to take - and that’s been the simple part for me.

"I want to be able to savour life while I’m still relatively young and when I’m still relatively healthy enough to do all the things I want to do, like travel, spend more time with my family and grandchildren without the huge pressure that comes with being a football manager.

"This is the right time for me. I have no ambitions to take another job, I simply want to be able to enjoy all the things you cannot really enjoy with the 24/7 demands of managing any football club, let alone one in the Premier League."

Sources close to Allardyce had earlier suggested his frustrations at Palace centred on him not receiving assurances about recruitment after successfully keeping the Eagles up.

One of the players he had his eyes on was believed to have been Jermain Defoe, with Bournemouth on the verge of winning the race to land the Sunderland striker on a free transfer, handing the 34-year-old a three-year deal worth £100,000-a-week.

Sunderland’s financial situation is even worse than Crystal Palace at the moment because of the uncertainty while Short continues to look for a buyer.

Moyes, a good friend of his predecessor, had feared he would not get the backing from the boardroom on transfers required to lead a successful promotion charge – even if ultimately that was not why he walked on Monday.

Short and Bain are set for further talks at the back of this week to discuss Sunderland’s next move, with the pair keen to have a few days of reflection to take stock of recent events.

Former Ibrox chief Bain is believed to be talking to Moyes and former Rangers manager Walter Smith to throw some ideas around, knowing they can’t afford to get this appointment wrong ahead of such a big year in the Championship.

Short is still trying to sell up and there is a feeling the initial parachute payment, of around £44m, will largely be used to reduce a chunk of the club’s debt, in excess of £100m.

That is why the American and Bain need to come up with a suitable way forward so that Sunderland can make a serious push for promotion and they accept the whole club needs a lift.

Short is known to prefer a more experienced chief although a leading contender for the role is former striker Phillips. He is coaching at Derby County and has ambitions to step into frontline management on his own.

The 43-year-old would be interested in trying to turn things around if he heard the right noises from the boardroom.

Former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, who has had Phillips on his backroom team before, and ex-Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka are two of the other names in the frame.