Sam Allardyce says it would ‘kill him’ to suffer first Premier League relegation

Sam Allardyce admits losing his proud record of never being relegated from the Premier League would “kill” him.

West Brom are Allardyce’s eighth top-flight club and, despite some close shaves, he successfully kept the previous seven out of harm’s way.

But the 66-year-old concedes he has put his unblemished record on the line with the Baggies lying 19th in the table, with only one win to their name.

He said: “I think that having never been relegated, it would kill me if I got relegated.

“I’d be massively upset. I would have that tag of getting one club relegated and I don’t want it.

“It may happen this time, I can’t guarantee that it won’t happen. But I’ll do my best to get them safe.”

Allardyce’s first game in charge is a midlands derby against Aston Villa at The Hawthorns.

Dean Smith’s side have made a decent start to the season following last term’s narrow escape from relegation, and Allardyce is an admirer of the Villa boss.

“He’s similar to me, like Chris Wilder at Sheffield United, he’s had to work his way up through the leagues to get the big job, to work in the Premier League,” added Allardyce.

“He’s done his apprenticeship and now he’s at a football club that he dreamt about being at.

“Of course after last season’s heroics at the end, just staying up, it shows what can be done in the space of a summer. They’ve started really well and are moving in the right direction.

“What we have to do on Sunday is make sure they’re miserable when we’ve finished.”