Ex-Leeds United manager completes surprise move as he agrees one-year deal at Championship rivals

Huddersfield Town have appointed former Leeds United manager Neil Warnock on one-year deal after the Yorkshireman guided the club to safety last season.

The Terriers were facing the prospect of relegation less than 12 months on from reaching the Championship play-off final under Carlos Corberan.

Warnock agreed a return to the club on a short-term deal and despite the club sitting in the relegation places upon his arrival, he secured survival with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the penultimate game of the season last month.

He took charge of 15 games with the Terriers, with only five managers boasting a better points-per-game ratio in the second tier last season. His assistant Ronnie Jepson has also agreed a new deal to remain with the club.

Warnock said: “After having conversations with Jake Edwards, it became obvious that this was going to be a difficult job for me to leave and for anybody new to come into after what we’d built at the end of last season.

“I’ve agreed to stay on alongside Ronnie and just as we did when we came back last February, we’re going to try and do the best we can with our squad that we can hopefully make one or two additions to.

“We’re quietly confident – I know what the Club is all about and I have to say, the response I got after those last two games is something I’ve never experienced in my whole life. This is now a chance for me to put something back into the Club and give us some stability during this transitional period.

“Once I knew that Sharon was okay with me continuing, I’ve been fully concentrating on knuckling down to do the best we can in trying to get this great Club up the league.”

Chief Executive Jake Edwards explained: “We’ve heard Town fans loud and clear, both at the Reading game and ever since. You all wanted ‘one more year’ under Neil and Ronnie, and this had to be our first order of business as we prepare for the new season.

“Neil and Ronnie have incredible knowledge and skill as a management team; that was clear in the job they achieved here at the end of last season. They also have an amazing connection with this Club and our supporters, which is also so valuable.

“We’re so pleased Neil has agreed to stay on for another season. I know how determined he is to build on the job he’s done last season, and he offers us great experience and stability on the football side as we prepare for the prospective change of ownership.”

Warnock had a spell at Leeds between February 2012 and April 2013 and came out of retirement to take charge of then free-falling Huddersfield until the end of the last campaign.

He had previously announced his retirement in 2022 with his last job before arriving at Huddersfield at Middlesbrough. But he will now face Leeds at least twice next season, after agreeing his one-year extension. Warnock has managed against Leeds 16 times in his career, winning nine games, drawing two and losing five.