Sam Allardyce: Leeds boss says he is 'up there' with Jurgen Klopp & Pep Guardiola

Leeds United: Sam Allardyce on becoming Leeds manager

New Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce has said he is "up there" with any manager in the Premier League including Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp.

Allardyce, who replaced Javi Gracia, said he may look "antiquated" but is the equal of any manager in the league.

"I'm 68 but there's nobody ahead of me in football terms. Not Pep, not Klopp, not [Mikel] Arteta," he said.

Allardyce's task is to keep Leeds in the Premier League.

With four games remaining, they are only outside the relegation places on goal difference and face a daunting run-in with fixtures against Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham and Tottenham to come.

Of the timing of his appointment, Allardyce said: "Leeds have known where I am but it's not materialised until now.

"The football club chooses which way it wants to go and far too many people think I am old and antiquated which is so far from truth.

"It's all there with me. They do what they do, I do what I do. In terms of knowledge and depth of knowledge, I'm up there with them. I'm not saying I'm better than them, but certainly as good as they are."

Sammy Lee unavailable due to jury service

Allardyce's side travel to face Guardiola's City in his first game in charge on Saturday.

But his regular assistant Sammy Lee will not be on the touchline with Allardyce because he is on jury duty.

"The judge has left Sammy unemployed and wouldn't let him off," Allardyce added. "I think it's very poor judgment indeed. It's a real shame because he loves being with me and I love having him with me."

Leeds could be 'biggest challenge'

The former Everton and England boss said his tenure at relegation-threatened Leeds could be his "biggest challenge" in management because of the fixtures.

"We start with an easy one on Saturday," said Allardyce. "It can't get any easier than Manchester City away, can it?

"It is a big challenge that the players have to take on, that I have to take on, and we'll go to Manchester City and do our best to get a result.

"It's probably my biggest challenge because of the shortness of games that are left and the difficulty of those fixtures."

Allardyce replaces Javi Gracia who's dismissal takes the total of managerial changes in the Premier League to 15 for the season - five more than in any other previous campaign. Leeds are the fourth top-flight side to have sacked two managers this season.