Ex-Leeds United manager performs shock u-turn as he ‘agrees to stay’ with Championship rivals for 2023/24 season

Neil Warnock has surprisingly agreed to remain in charge at Huddersfield Town after guiding the club to Championship safety last season.

The former Leeds United boss arrived with the Terriers in the relegation places but a remarkable turnaround saw the West Yorkshire club clinch survival with a game to spare.

Warnock said he intended to step down at the end of his short-term contract but now the Daily Mail reports the 74-year-old has performed a u-turn following talks with new owner Kevin Nagle.

Huddersfield have yet to confirm a replacement for Warnock with interviews for the managerial vacancy planned for next week now cancelled.

Warnock 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. Town secured their Championship status with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United last month.

Warnock had previously said keeping Huddersfield up would be “greatest achievement” despite a career which has included eight promotions.

And after the win over the Blades which sealed survival, he said: “I’ll remember tonight for the rest of my life. It’s a massive achievement and I couldn’t be any prouder.

“When (Warnock’s assistant) Ronnie Jepson phoned me, he said ‘are you sure? This is the worst team I have seen’. Everyone has worked their socks off for me but I can’t do another 10 months of this. The job is done for me.

“I have great memories and didn’t want to leave having gone down. You can imagine relegation, jobs at stake. We looked nervous, not wanting to have a second touch.”

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 it now appears he could face Leeds at least once next season, after reportedly agreeing a six-month deal to allow the club’s new owners time to adjust to English football.

Warnock has managed against Leeds 16 times in his career, winning nine games, drawing two and losing five.