Steve Bruce insists he's happy for Martin O'Neill over his success at Sunderland.

Bruce was replaced by O'Neill at the start of the year.

"I was delighted Martin (O'Neill) got it," he told the Daily Mail. "I like him as a fella. I respect his abilities as a manager. I am pleased he is doing well. Does it reflect badly on me? No, the opposite.

"I rang him when I heard he got the job and said, 'Don't listen to what anyone else says, I'm telling you that you have inherited a decent bunch'. And my problem isn't with Martin. My issue with all of it is that I didn't receive the time I deserved. That's my frustration.

"We made massive changes in the summer and the players I brought in didn't have time to gel. We had two matches - then there was two weeks off for an international break - another two matches then the same time off. And so it goes on.

"By the time I'm fired we have played 12 games and it's the end of November. It was no time to mould a team."