 |
| Neil Warnock during a cinch Championship match between Greenock Morton and Kilmarnock at Cappielow Park, on April 01, 2022, in Greenock, Scotland. |
Former Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and QPR boss Neil Warnock has announced his retirement from management.
The 73-year-old left his most recent job at Championship side Boro in November and has had a career spanning 41 years across 16 different clubs.
Warnock holds the record for promotions in English football with eight, notably taking his boyhood club Sheffield United into the Premier League in 2006.
In announcing the decision, he told Sky Sports: "I decided to have a rest."
In total Warnock managed more than 1,600 games across his managerial career.
Warnock had an 11-year playing career as a winger with clubs including Rotherham United, Barnsley and Crewe Alexandra, before retiring from on-pitch duties at the age of 30.
He landed his first full-time managerial role with Northern Premier League side Gainsborough Trinity in 1981.
Warnock also took Cardiff to the top flight in 2018 as part of a spell that featured the tragic disappearance and death of Emiliano Sala, which Warnock described as his "worst week in football".
Throughout his career, he was known as a tenacious leader who could bring a dressing room together and who never shied away from criticising referees.
Michael Brown, who played for Warnock at Sheffield United and at Leeds, paid tribute to the "incredible career" of his former boss.
He said: When I first met Neil Warnock, he was probably still fighting to prove himself.
At Sheffield United, in the early days, we were down to 12,000 in crowds. Quickly we were up to 25-30,000, getting the club back to where it belonged.
Great passion for the game. Yes, he didn't always do things that didn't upset people, but that was part of the make-up.
