AZ Alkmaar striker Jozy Altidore says he's a better player than the last time he played in the Premier League with Hull City.

Altidore is a top target for Sunderland.

On his time at Hull, which brought just one goal, he told NASN: "I think I was 19 or just turned 20 and I had not played in Europe before that. It is a totally different style from the MLS.

"I have come a long way since then. I am almost a different player and I have learned a lot. So I don't think there is any resemblance to that time if I went back to the league any time soon.

"I have played 100-plus games (since leaving Hull). Playing there at that age and playing in the best league in the world, you can't expect to hit the ground running.

"Some of my performances at Hull were not as bad as people think, some of them were actually pretty good.

"I don't look back at it as a sad experience. It was a great experience because I got to see what the highest level was like."