Hull City boss Mike Phelan says he has nothing to prove to David Moyes when they take on his Sunderland side at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Phelan was dismissed as Manchester United assistant manager when Moyes cleared out the existing backroom staff after taking over from Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Ferguson himself questioned that move last year, suggesting that Moyes' decision to oust his old number two helped to set the tone for what proved to be a dreadful spell in charge at Old Trafford.
Phelan, however, maintains that he holds no grudges over his departure.
"I have no point to prove," he told Friday's pre-match media conference. "I had a fantastic career at Manchester United. It's not for me to hold any grudges.
"I had 18 years there overall, which is more than most people get. I had my time but my time now is here.
"I had experience in abundance at Manchester United and it's up to me to bring that here to Hull."
United captain Wayne Rooney was forced to apologise this week after he was pictured having been drinking heavily at a wedding party following England's World Cup qualifying win over Scotland last Friday.
Although Phelan maintains that there can be no excuse for modern players to imbibe too heavily, he feels the scrutiny on Rooney's behaviour can be excessive.
"There's no excuses for over-drinking. Those days are long gone," he said. "But he was given the opportunity to do that by the FA or England.
"Players are human and when they get the opportunity to relieve the pressure, some deal with it in different ways.
"It's the world we live in at the moment. We all want contact with stars and players. When we do get that, social media plays a part."
Hull head into the match third-from-bottom of the Premier League, five points ahead of Sunderland, who prop up the table.
With a number of injury problems having blighted his side this season and with a packed fixture schedule ahead, Phelan admits that January signings could be pivotal to their chances of survival.
"I'm in constant contact with the owners. They've not mentioned anything to me [about transfers]," he said.
"The transfer window is not that far away. Business will get done but we are short in certain departments and we want to add to that."
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