Neil Warnock makes Barnsley FC admission and his play-off view on Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield Town

The Yorkshireman, 73, officially retired from football management earlier this month after a record-breaking career spanning 14 clubs and over 1,600 games in 42 years in the game.

A former player at Barnsley in the 1970s, Warnock - who has previously managed in Yorkshire at Sheffield United, Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Middlesbrough, Rotherham United and Scarborough - was briefly mentioned in the betting as a potential candidate for the vacant post at Barnsley in November.

Warnock left Boro on November 6 with Barnsley naming Poya Asbaghi as the permanent successor to Markus Schopp 11 days later.

The Reds will be relegated if they lose in Friday's derby at Huddersfield Town.

Alongside a number of successes on the promotion front from the second tier, Warnock also rescued both Rotherham and Boro from relegation towards the tail end of the 2015-16 and 2019-20 seasons respectively and admitted that he would have been tempted back into management for a short spell after leaving Teesside if a club had contacted him - before making his decision to retire.

On whether he'd have answered the call at Oakwell, Warnock said: "I thought about that a few weeks ago, if I am honest. But they never asked me. I think they go for foreign managers, don't they.

"Absolutely, I would have done it. My old club Barnsley? Dead right, I would. I think they'd got some decent players, really. But it is too late now, I think."

Meanwhile, Warnock has expressed his shock at former club Boro's stuttering recent form which has seen their chances of reaching the play-offs diminish after a difficult past few weeks and says that his boyhood club United have been 'unlucky' to have been deprived of the services of several strikers at a critical juncture of the season.

The Sheffielder has also expressed his surprise at how well another of his former sides in Huddersfield have performed this season, with Town currently looking to be the county's safest bet to reach the Championship play-offs.

If Town beat Barnsley on Friday, they are guaranteed a top-six finish.

Warnock continued: "I left a great club at Middlesbrough. For the manager to take over that squad, I bet he couldn't believe his luck, really. We had a lot of injuries before I left.

"They were all coming back and I am surprised they have slipped up lately because I really fancied them and Sheffield United. United have been unlucky because of their strikers and I feel sorry for Paul (Heckingbottom) and Stuart McCall, who is a super lad. But to lose Billy Sharp...

"They have got to keep going. I am surprised (with) Huddersfield and Luton as I never thought either of those would be anywhere near, if I am honest. I think it is wide open."