Sunderland manager David Moyes has claimed that he was "unfairly treated" during his time in charge of Manchester United.

Moyes took over from long-serving boss Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 but lasted less than 11 months of his six-year deal before being sacked with the club sitting seventh in the Premier League table.

The Scot will return to Old Trafford for the first time when his Sunderland side visit on Boxing Day, and he insists that some of the world's top managers would have struggled to follow on from Ferguson.

"The only regrets would be the time, only the timescale. But I think most people looking back at it and me myself would say I don't think whoever had taken over from Sir Alex would have had an easy ride. Whether it had been Jose [Mourinho] then or Carlo Ancelotti or Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola or David Moyes, I think it would have been a difficult job for whoever took over," he told reporters.

"I was definitely unfairly treated. Over the piece, other managers have come and gone and it's been difficult for them as well. I think it would have taken whoever it was time to change the squad around. They had great players, Manchester United - there were one or two who were getting near the end of their careers. It was gong to be a little bit of a rebuilding job and it was never going to be done immediately.

"They have got a very good manager in charge just now, they had a very good manager and experienced manager in Louis van Gaal, and I think they would all say going to Manchester United is a different animal than maybe even some of the clubs they have managed before. It's disappointing that I didn't get to see out my contract, that's for sure, but I'll look back knowing that I was really fortunate that I had a chance to work with some great players, I got a chance to see how at the real top level, things are.

"The big thing is I enjoyed being at Manchester United. It was a great football club, it really was. I feel that my time was too short, as I have said many times. You have to win games - I obviously didn't win enough games."

Moyes won 27 of his 51 matches in charge of United, drawing nine and losing 15.