Neil Warnock returns to management aged 74 with Huddersfield

Neil Warnock has come out of retirement and made a shock return to management at Huddersfield Town. The 74-year-old, whose last job was at Middlesbrough, walked away from the game last April but has been lured back in by the prospect of keeping Huddersfield in the Championship. Warnock will take charge on Thursday after returning from a holiday in the United States.

In 2021 Warnock broke the 1,601-game record for most matches managed in English professional football. He has signed a deal until the end of the season, similar to the one he agreed at Rotherham in 2016, when he kept the club in the second tier. Huddersfield, who host Stoke City on Wednesday, are 23rd in the Championship, a point from safety. The interim manager, Narcis Pelach, will take charge of Wednesday’s game.

Warnock previously managed Huddersfield between 1993 and 1995, winning promotion to the second tier via the playoffs and his appointment is likely to be popular among supporters. Warnock will be assisted by longstanding confidante Ronnie Jepson, who played under Warnock at Huddersfield in the 90s.

Warnock left Middlesbrough in November 2021 and announced in a Sky Sports interview five months later that it was “the right time” to retire. He started his managerial career at Gainsborough Trinity in 1980 and has managed 16 clubs across a highly successful career in which he has achieved eight promotions. Warnock is Huddersfield’s third appointment of the season after they sacked Mark Fotheringham and Danny Schofield.

“I’m really excited about this challenge,” Warnock said. “My first spell at Huddersfield Town had everything; we went to Wembley twice, moved into the new stadium, and really built the club from nothing. It was a special time.

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“I’m coming back to help the club, but also Dean Hoyle. I know what he has done behind-the-scenes and I’ve always had a lot of time for him. I’ve looked at the fixtures and we’ve got some fantastic games to come. I want to come back and put smiles on faces.”