'As good as Chelsea and Tottenham' - Neil Warnock praises key unit in Huddersfield Town survival run

Having completed his rescue mission with a game to spare, the 74-year-old Great Escape artist capped a stay that will be recalled in Kirklees for years to come with a comfortable 2-0 win over Reading on Bank Holiday Monday.

Warnock now heads back home to Cornwall to put his feet up, the phone almost certain to ring in the new year from a Championship chairman desperate for the veteran to come and save one more club from relegation.

The Huddersfield Town team he leaves is one built on a solid defensive foundation of Tom Lees, Matty Pearson and freshly-minted supporters’ player of the year Michal Helik.

“I said to Michal he should be playing at the top level,” said Warnock, who won 25 points from his 15 games in charge of a team that looked doomed to relegation when he arrived.

“When you look at the centre-halves Tottenham have got and Chelsea have got, deary me.

“My back three are as good as any in the Premier League, I wouldn’t swap them.

“There’s so many great players for me. I think Tom Lees has made one mistake, other than that he’s been Mr Reliable every game.

“Even at half-time (against Reading) he was the one who said ‘come on lads, we don’t play like that, we do better’.

“I think he and Helik have been fantastic.

“I do feel a little bit sorry for people like (Will) Boyle, he’s not had a look-in but his attitude has been fantastic.

“I don’t think they’ll have a problem with the players they’ve got at the back.

“What more can you say about Matty Pearson and the goals he’s scored?”

Warnock was in the mood to go through every player and praise them, but had a few special words of encouragement for midfielder Jack Rudoni. “Jack has so much to offer, he’ll only get better. I just hope you (Huddersfield) can keep him another year,” said Warnock.

“I’ve told him to put his hair back to normal because his hair looks a bloody mess.”