Warnock's next step

Neil Warnock has reiterated his intention to leave Leeds United if they fail to achieve promotion this season because he wants to spend more time with his family.

Last Updated: 17/03/13 at 15:45 Post Comment

The 64-year-old took over at Elland Road in February 2012 and has held the reins while Bahrain based company GFH Capital have completed their takeover of the club, but despite the possibility of a sizeable transfer kitty this summer he says only the lure of managing in the Premier League would tempt him to stay.

Leeds are currently 10th in the Championship, six points off the play-off places, and Warnock says if the club cannot gatecrash the top six then he will stand down as manager to return to his family home in Cornwall.

"I don't think I'd want to do another year in the Championship," Warnock told Goals on Sunday.

"A few weeks ago we had a few bad results and I got a bit of stick and I don't really need that to be honest. What I've done over the last 10 months at Leeds has been very difficult.

"I've had three new owners now in three clubs. It's hard work when you're bringing new owners in. I've had to change the whole squad, I've had new owners coming in and I think the time has come.

"For a lot of managers, football is everything to them and while I love football I think there comes a time for family. William has had five schools and there comes a point where the kids can't go any more.

"We're at that stage now. We've got a lovely house in Cornwall and I love living there, so I think it's important to have your priorities.

"You wonder where you're going to get the buzz - like when we beat Tottenham in the FA Cup - but there will be other days when your stomach is churning and you wake up at 1am, 3am and 5am wondering who's going to play, who's going to be injured.

"You think of that one good moment, but it's not all a bed of roses."

Role

Warnock says he doesn't plan to abandon football completely, but would prefer to work on a part-time basis as he reaches retirement age.

He intends to move into media work and also indicated he would like a consultancy role for a football club, acting as a go-between for the directors and manager.

He added: "Since 1968, so that's 45 years, I haven't had a Christmas or a summer holiday and I want to do certain things.

"I still want to get involved and I think there's a space for someone between the board and the manager who's not a threat, but I only want to do a couple of days a week - and in commuting distance from Cornwall.

"I've got one or two ideas on going into the media side as well, but I want a bit of time. I had a great holiday in Venice with Sharon a few months ago and four days seemed like four years. You forget about things like that when you're managing."

However, ahead of Tuesday's home clash with relegation-threatened Peterborough, Warnock refused to rule out a late promotion charge and the possibility of managing Leeds in the Premier League next season.

"If we didn't get it this year, I think we'll definitely get promotion next year," he said.

"We should have 10 more points, but I don't write us off yet. We've got 10 games left, we're playing well, we've got a great bunch of lads and there's not a bad apple in the squad.

"If you've got a good dressing room you've got a hell of a chance and we've got six games at home out of the 10.

"You can't write us off when there's 30 points at stake in this league."

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