Premier League stars admit what it’s really like working with Neil Warnock

Neil Warnock took on his first official managerial role 41 years ago after being involved in Sunday league coaching, and the legendary boss is still going at the age of 72.

Warnock is currently at Middlesbrough, in what is the 16th different professional club he has managed, as he looks to try and win his seventh career promotion and send Boro' back to the Premier League.

During the 41 years Warnock has coached, he has seen it all, and the Englishman has worked with hundreds of players through different generations in the dugout.

Warnock is certainly a character, and stories have come out over the years from former staff members and players about the antics of the veteran boss.

Here Daily Star Sport uncover some of the stories, and see what it's really like working with Warnock…

Doug Thomson

Thomson covered Huddersfield Town for the The Examiner alongside Mel Booth, and got to know Neil Warnock well during his time in charge of the Terriers.

Thomson recalled his time close to Warnock as he said: "I remember he was very superstitious.

"I remember one game, Cambridge away in midweek, and me and Mel went on the team bus to the game.

"They won the game 5-4 or something like that, and the next year against Cambridge he wanted us to go on the bus again because he was so superstitious about it."

This wasn't the only time Warnock repeated this trick though, as Thomson revealed: "There was another one.

"It was the last ever game at Leeds Road, the old ground, against Blackpool and Mel was on the bench doing a feature in the dugout. I was up in the press box. Sure enough, the next year Neil wanted the same arrangement as Town were successfully pushing for the play-offs."

Paul Peschisolido

It's well documented that Warnock values the importance of togetherness and team spirit, and Paul Peschisolido revealed the hilarious story of when the then Sheffield United boss took the squad on a team bonding trip to Scarborough to go bowling.

"He convinced us all to put £10 in the pot, winner-take-all," he said.

"We agreed but then he pulled out his own bowling shoes and custom ball, shot 250 and took all our money."

The story was then brought up on talkSport and Warnock was quizzed on the incident, as he revealed: "Yes, I’m afraid that’s true – although I thought it was £20 each.

"I used to teach bowling when I was a teenager – it was a massive thing. I used to work on the lanes.

"I can swing the ball both ways if I need to, depending what pins are left."

Daniel Farke

Norwich boss Daniel Farke may not have worked directly with Warnock, but the manager does admire the veteran, and revealed how much he enjoyed meeting up with the Middlesbrough boss while in the Championship.

Farke said: "I like Neil Warnock a lot because I love characters and he's a big one.

"He's done it for so many years with so many promotions. He's so experienced and still full of energy and motivation. Even if you don't like his style, you have to admire it.

"They're so difficult to beat with a great mentality and that comes down to what Neil brings to the souls and hearts of the players. I love every chat with him because it's such a good time and so funny. He's greedy to win games, but quite relaxed afterwards and it's always a pleasure to see him.

"Perhaps tomorrow it's 5-5, because both teams haven't conceded many. I expect a game where we have to be patient and efficient. It's difficult to break them and they're in a top unbeaten run."

Sol Bamba

Warnock famously said that Sol Bamba was a better defender than Virgil van Dijk shortly after the Dutchman signed for Liverpool, as the manager has always admired the defender.

Bamba revealed: "I get asked about this a lot.

"That is the gaffer all over. He makes you feel a million dollars. He gives you so much confidence. That was an example.

"We were doing well, I was doing well personally, and he just kept giving me more confidence.

"To compare with me with Van Dijk is just crazy, I went to him after and said 'gaffer, what are you doing?' He said, 'now you need to perform even better or I'll look a fool!"

Warnock tried to sign Bamba on many occasions, but the defender revealed the unique story that saw the legendary manager try to secure his services for the first time: "I was playing for Leicester at the time and he was the manager at QPR.

"I was playing the game and I went for a tackle near the touchline. He grabbed me and said 'you get away with murder, you should come and play for me!'

"He said 'you'd be a better player and be in the Premier League by now'. I was like, 'what'? That was during the game!"

Jose Fonte

Neil Warnock once offered Jose Fonte, who lifted the Henri Delaunay Cup with Portugal at Euro 2016, £5 to stop playing out from the back.

The current Ligue 1 champion Palace arrived at Selhurst Park in 2007, his first move out of Portugal., when Crystal Palace were managed by Warnock, but the boss didn't like how Fonte played out from the back as he was taught at Sporting Lisbon and Benfica.

Fonte said: "At the second or third game I managed to play, Neil Warnock said ‘listen, Jose, I will give you £5 if you manage to kick the ball for a goal kick for the opponents.

"I will give you £5 if you kick it upfront and if it goes out for a goal kick, no problem’.

"It was just so I didn’t play out from the back, so I ran no risks, kicked it upfront and give it to the two strikers and stopped playing out from the back.

"That stuck in my head, £5! I thought he was serious!"

Richie Smallwood

In 2016, Warnock and Rotherham pulled off the unthinkable as they escaped relegation despite having to play seven out of the top eight sides to end the season.

Warnock admitted it was "as good as an achievement as I have had" and ensured "those lads will remember those 16 games", and Richie Smallwood certainly does.

Smallwood, who played in midfield for Rotherham at the time said: "You just have that instant respect for him because of what he's done.

"We were in big trouble at the time but he somehow made us believe we were going to get out of the situation we were in. He somehow made us believe we were always going to win the next game, and before you know it you think you can beat anyone.

"Day to day, he's such a good character around the place, his little one liners and comments. He tries to catch players out, he had everyone in hysterics to be fair.

"He just brings a good mood, a good feeling. When it's work time it's work time but he knows the importance of a laugh and a joke."

"I think the way he sees the game is quite simple and straightforward really.

"He knows what works and what teams can't deal with. And his character, his love for it, his love every day on the training ground, coming in and having a laugh. Everyone is working hard for him, he must enjoy that."

Brian Deane

When Warnock returned to Sheffield United for a second time, the Blades were in trouble, without a win in ten games and there was chaos behind the scenes as Brian Deane was sold.

Warnock re-signed Deane five years later, and by then he'd led the Blades to the League Cup and an FA Cup semi-final, and his side were on the brink of promotion.

Deane only played a small number of games but enjoyed a great spell under Warnock as the striker revealed: "I enjoyed my short time with him.

"You hear different things about him and you get an impression from seeing him on the touchline but I found him really easy to get on with. His management style is very much like a father figure. The players respect him and want to perform for him. That's presence.

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"I knew I wasn't going to play much, I was 38. They brought back me back for the presence in the changing rooms around the young players, a bit of calming influence. Neil facilitated that really well.

"He made me feel part of everything even though I was on the periphery. It was good to learn his style of management. I went into management and picked up some tips from his manner, his style and how he managed people.

"That longevity, his management at all levels must be really good, whether it's managing up to owners, whether he's managing his staff or whether he's managing the players. He just has that ability to get people to perform.

"I've seen it time after time when he's gone in after a previous manager has failed and he's got them buzzing. When I went to Sheffield United the atmosphere was brilliant."

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