Neil Warnock will quit Huddersfield Town after Wednesday’s game against Stoke City. Huddersfield’s decision was made during a pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon, following much speculation about his future over the weekend.
After Saturday’s win over Rotherham United, the former Middlesbrough manager stated that he would address his future at a press conference on Monday. And, as expected, it was announced that the 74-year-old will leave after only seven games of the current season, with the Terriers said to have a replacement lined up.
On his departure, Warnock said: “We’ve actually done what we set out to do really. As Jake [Edwards – chief executive] said, Kevin [Nagle – owner] has a three-year plan to reach the Premier League. When Dean [Hoyle, former owner] brought me back he pleaded for days and days and changed my mind and I said I’d come back and help while I was wanted.
READ MORE: Michael Carrick wants Middlesbrough to focus on the future, but history provides reassurances “Once they told me they wanted to bring someone in…yes, I thought it would be about Christmas time, but once they told me that I think they had to move on quickly. If you’re not wanted you want to go straight away. I don’t mean that how it maybe sounds – we always said we’d be straight
with each other and that’s what we’ve done, and Ronnie[Jepson] and I wish them all the best. I’ve told the lads there’s no reason not to push towards the play-offs now.
“My health is good, I’ve never felt better! If anything I’ve got the buzz again. I’m sure when February comes round people will be asking me again. I’ve always said to Kevin, it’s his club and that I’d go whenever he wants me to go. I think it was the right thing that I came back, I don’t think it would have helped anyone to come in in pre-season, but we’ve made a lot of progress. I can’t tell you who the new manager is because they’ve not told me, so I assume it’s someone I don’t like!”
Warnock, who spent almost 16 months at Boro and helped stabilise them in the Championship after a campaign of relegation fears and squad upheaval, came out of retirement to rejoin Huddersfield in February and guided the club to safety despite being seven points adrift in March and facing a tough fixture run-in.
That included a win over then-high-flying Boro in April which he rated as his best during his second spell at the West Yorkshire club. He said: “This was my biggest achievement. You don’t know what’s round the corner and we’ll wait and see. I love the Championship, I don’t want to go down, even though it wouldn’t bother me going back to Gainsborough – I just love the dressing room. But I just love the Championship.
“My favorite win last year was at Middlesbrough.” I heard so many murmurs when we were 1-0 down, then to make the switch and win as comfortably as we did, then to read the columns afterwards…Sharon wants to prohibit me from reading them, therefore I must do so while she is not watching. In fact, I thought they were the best club in the play-offs, so we knocked them off a little.”
Following the takeover of American billionaire Kevin Nagle, Warnock signed a one-year deal to stay at the John Smith’s Stadium this season, although there have been rumors of rifts between the veteran manager and the new owner during a difficult summer.
The Terriers are 17th in the league rankings heading into Wednesday’s encounter against Stoke City, having won two and lost three of their first six games. Their solitary point came against Boro at the Riverside, and it is Michael Carrick’s side’s lone point of the season so far.
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