Neil Warnock has agreed a one-year extension to stay on as Huddersfield boss for the 2023-24 season, the Sky Bet Championship club have announced.

The 74-year-old came out of retirement in February for a second spell in charge of the Terriers, having previously been their manager from 1993 to 1995, and guided them to safety in the second tier.

The team recorded seven wins and four draws in their final 15 matches of the campaign as they moved out of the relegation zone and finished 18th in the table.

Warnock, whose assistant Ronnie Jepson has also agreed a one-year extension, said on Huddersfield’s official website: “After having conversations with (the club’s new chief executive) Jake Edwards, it became obvious that this was going to be a difficult job for me to leave and for anybody new to come into after what we’d built at the end of last season.

“I’ve agreed to stay on alongside Ronnie and, just as we did when we came back last February, we’re going to try and do the best we can with our squad that we can hopefully make one or two additions to.

“We’re quietly confident – I know what the club is all about and I have to say, the response I got after those last two games (home wins against Sheffield United and Reading) is something I’ve never experienced in my whole life. This is now a chance for me to put something back into the club and give us some stability during this transitional period.

“Once I knew that Sharon (his wife) was okay with me continuing, I’ve been fully concentrating on knuckling down to do the best we can in trying to get this great club up the league.”

Edwards said: “We’ve heard Town fans loud and clear, both at the Reading game and ever since. You all wanted ‘one more year’ under Neil and Ronnie, and this had to be our first order of business as we prepare for the new season.

“Neil and Ronnie have incredible knowledge and skill as a management team – that was clear in the job they achieved here at the end of last season. They also have an amazing connection with this club and our supporters, which is also so valuable.

“We’re so pleased Neil has agreed to stay on for another season. I know how determined he is to build on the job he’s done last season, and he offers us great experience and stability on the football side as we prepare for the prospective change of ownership.”

Neil Warnock hailed Huddersfield’s “unbelievable” final points tally of 53 after overseeing a 2-0 Sky Bet Championship win over relegated Reading in his last match before returning to retirement.

The Terriers’ great escape from the drop was confirmed courtesy of last week’s victory over Sheffield United, with Monday’s triumph – the seventh under Warnock’s temporary charge – the cherry on the top for the 74-year-old.

Prospective American owner Kevin M Nagle was in attendance at the John Smith’s Stadium for the match, with the points secured by stunning second-half goals from Josh Koroma and substitute Joseph Hungbo.

Koroma broke the deadlock after 49 minutes before Watford loanee Hungbo came off the bench to seal matters six minutes from time.

“I was pleased I could leave him (Nagle) a Championship club,” said Warnock, whose side ended the campaign in 18th spot, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

“I wanted to finish on a win and to get 53 points is unbelievable.

“These times you have to treasure. I told the players that because they don’t come along very often.

“You would have thought we had got promotion to the Premier League, with the crowd. You can’t tell me it would have been any more vociferous.

“But the fans know what a job it has been to turn it round. To see everyone stay behind at the end, I can’t put it into words.”

Asked what he might be doing when the Championship kicks off again next season, the south-west-based veteran suggested he might be watching League One champions Plymouth.

“It is great because me and my daughter go to all the home matches,” he said. “If Plymouth play Huddersfield first match, I might be watching Huddersfield again.

“I can sit down, have a nice meal, a nice glass of wine, no pressure, no worry about substitutions, get driven home… it’s perfect… until February.”

Huddersfield fans pleaded for one more year from Warnock, but he said: “You can’t do this for 10 months.

“I hate the motorways, I hate the hotels, I don’t need that at my age. But I don’t mind for 10-12 weeks!”

Noel Hunt, who could not mastermind a win during his tenure as interim Reading boss, admitted his own future remains unsure but reckons the future is bright for the Royals despite relegation.

“I have not even thought about it,” the Irishman responded when asked if he would like the role permanently.

“As far as I was told, this was until the end of the season and then who knows?

“I was pretty sure I was probably going back to the under-23s. But I have not had that conversation. So your guess is as good as mine.”

On Reading’s fall into the game’s third tier, Hunt said: “I have seen teams go down to League One and two years later be in the Premier League. Norwich and Southampton did it.

“Maybe a reset is going to be good and what the club needs. But we have a lot of good players signed here and a lot of good young boys coming through.

“So the future is bright, no matter what.”

Neil Warnock is open to another managerial challenge in the future, but says he will only return to work towards the end of next season after masterminding Huddersfield’s Championship survival.

The 74-year-old was tempted out of retirement in mid-February by a return to one of his former clubs, with the Terriers battling to get out of the relegation zone at the time.

A run of just one defeat in nine league matches saw Huddersfield complete a remarkable turnaround, with the 1-0 home win over promoted Sheffield United on Thursday night securing their place in the Championship and in turn relegating Reading to League One.

Warnock’s long managerial career has spanned more than 1600 games and included eight promotions.

While there are no immediate plans to stay in the game and plan for the start of the new campaign with Huddersfield, Warnock hinted should another interesting opportunity present itself early in 2024, he would give it serious consideration.

“It is lovely how it happened and the fans were fantastic last night, but it was hard work, probably the hardest job I have ever had really. But it is great to come away when you when you have been successful,” Warnock said on talkSPORT.

“The new (Huddersfield) owner is coming over, I think for the game (against Reading) on Monday, and no doubt I will have a chat with him.

“If I can help them at all (with thoughts on a new manager) I will do, but  a lot of people (already) have their own ideas about things like that.

“At the minute I am just concentrated on making sure we stayed up really. It gives them a better chance of building for the future.

“It is a good club, the fans have been brilliant, so I am pleased to put a bit back into it.”

Warnock added: “(After the season) I am going to be doing some shows, ‘an evening with’, and I have really enjoyed them.

“I have got some in May and June, then after the one in September, that is me done and then the time is our own really – there are one or two places which (my wife) Sharon wants to go to.”

Asked if he would consider a return to management again if an opportunity came up towards the end of next season, Warnock said: “That will do me – I don’t mind the end of February, March and April, (but) I can’t work any longer than that.”

Neil Warnock urged Huddersfield not to let their rescue mission slip after victory at Cardiff took the Terriers to the brink of Sky Bet Championship survival.

Huddersfield won 2-1 at Cardiff through Joseph Hungbo’s super strike and a Jack Simpson own goal to leave themselves needing one point from their final two games to stay in the Championship.

When veteran Warnock took over in mid-February, Huddersfield were in 23rd place and just one point off the bottom of the table.

“We’ve come this far and it would be the icing on the cake (to survive). We can’t let it go now,” said the 74-year-old.

“The lads enjoy playing for us and the euphoria is there but, when you’re in relegation trouble, jobs are at stake. I do feel a bit of responsibility.”

Huddersfield finish their season with two home games against promoted Sheffield United and 22nd-placed Reading.

“I’ve always thought it would go down to Reading, it still might,” said Warnock, who admitted to being emotional after Cardiff fans clapped him at the final whistle in recognition of this three-year spell there between 2016 and 2019.

“Sheffield United are a good side, people said they might take the foot off the pedal now they’ve got promoted.

“Looks like, didn’t it? They really took their foot off the pedal on Saturday when they won 4-1.

“But it just shows what you can do. I think the lads have probably surprised themselves, we’ve got better players than what they were achieving.

“Sometimes you do under-achieve and they just need an arm around them. I’m glad I’ve come in and done my bit because we needed an old head.

“I think if I’d been there for three months we’d have had a good chance of the play-offs, as it’s such an open league apart from Burnley.”

Cardiff’s own relegation fears were over after Reading had failed to beat Wigan on Saturday.

And Sabri Lamouchi’s Bluebirds were thoroughly outplayed in the second half, scarcely deserving Isaak Davies’ late back-heeled consolation.

“It’s a massive club and they deserve to stay in the Championship,” said Lamouchi, who was appointed Cardiff’s third manager of the season in January and whose position remains unclear.

“I’m proud about that. It is job done, massive achievement.

“I am happy to work with this squad, but it (the future) is not about what I want to do. It’s about what the club want to do. It’s very simple.”

Neil Warnock has come out of retirement to take over as manager of Championship strugglers Huddersfield Town.

The 74-year-old announced his retirement last April, five months after leaving Middlesbrough.

Warnock is now back in the dugout for the 18th permanent position of his managerial career, with this his second spell in charge of Huddersfield.

He returns to the club almost 30 years after his first stint, during which time he earned the Terriers' promotion to the second tier via the play-offs in the 1994-95 campaign.

"I'm really excited about this challenge," Warnock told Huddersfield's official website. 

"My first spell at Huddersfield Town had everything; we went to Wembley twice, moved into the new stadium, and really built the club from nothing. It was a special time.

"I'm coming back to help the club, but also [chairman] Dean Hoyle. I know what he has done behind the scenes and I've always had a lot of time for him.

"I've looked at the fixtures and we've got some fantastic games to come. I want to come back and put smiles on faces."

At the age of 74 years and 74 days, Warnock is 10 years older than the next-oldest manager in England's top four tiers – recently appointed Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy.

Warnock, whose coaching career started with Gainsborough Trinity in 1980, has managed 1,599 games in the top four tiers of English football, including the Premier League.

That is just two short of equalling the all-time record held by former Crewe Alexandra manager Dario Gradi.

His longest spell came at Sheffield United, where he managed for 388 games across eight years at the helm. 

Huddersfield are one point from safety in the Championship relegation zone and travel to Stoke City in Warnock's first game back in charge on Wednesday.