Mannone struggled to hold on to a regular place under the previous two managers.
Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone has told the Sunderland Echo that he came close to leaving the club but the faith put in him by manager Sam Allardyce saw him remain at the Stadium of Light.
Allardyce made Mannone his number one goalkeeper ahead of Costel Pantilimon, who subsequently departed in the January transfer window for Watford.
Mannone said: “I slowly got my confidence back. I didn’t have an easy year with other managers.
“But since he’s come in, he’s been direct and honest with me.
“We had a chat when I was not playing and he said I was the number one. He trusted me.
“I’m happy that happened and I didn’t leave the club, because I was probably nearly leaving.”
Mannone had been player of the season on one occasion in 2014 after he helped the side both avoid relegation and played a starring role in helping the side to the League Cup final, but found himself relegated to the bench the following season as he struggled to hold down a place under both Gus Poyet and Dick Advocaat.
The goalkeeper himself will want to keep a few clean sheets between now and the end of the season which will ultimately help the club cement their status in the division, as they have a four-point gap to bridge between now and the end of the campaign.
But it’s good for a side to have a goalkeeper who is pretty sure of his position and has the manager’s backing, he just needs to prove his manager right.
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