'He's got that nasty habit': Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy addresses Huddersfield Town appointing Neil Warnock

The 74-year-old has come out of retirement to take over at Huddersfield on a deal that runs until the end of the season.

The Terriers, like Blackpool, are mired in a relegation battle, sitting level on points with McCarthy’s side inside the bottom three.

While McCarthy has welcomed Warnock’s return to management, the veteran boss knows he will get Blackpool’s rivals up for the scrap.

When asked what is it about management that tempts them back in, McCarthy - who recently turned 64 - said: “It’s our wives that get sick of us at home, that’s what it is! They want us out of the job.

“That’s what Warnie always says. He’s a good mate of mine, I played with him when I was 16 at Barnsley and we’ve been great mates ever since.

“I did ask him recently, because he was tipped for the Cardiff job and he said ‘no, no, there’s too many games, I usually take it when there’s about 12’, so he’s still a few out!

“I’m delighted to see him back in but not so much at Huddersfield because we’re scrapping against them and he’s got that nasty habit of coming in and winning games.”

Warnock has had to cut short a holiday to take the reins at Huddersfield, so won’t be in the dugout until Saturday’s game against Birmingham City.

The 74-year-old becomes the Terriers’ fourth manager in just seven months, replacing Mark Fotheringham who was axed after last week’s 2-2 draw at Bloomfield Road.

The West Yorkshire outfit followed that up with a damaging 1-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic on Saturday, which saw the Latics leapfrog them into 22nd place.

Fotheringham lasted just 21 games in the job, having replaced Danny Schofield who also spent just 69 days in the job, losing six of his first eight league games.

Warnock announced his retirement in April of last year after spending 42 years as a manager, calling time on his career having left Middlesbrough in November 2021.

The Sheffield-born manager returns for a second spell with the Terriers, having won promotion during the 1995/96 season.