Neil Warnock set for shock return to former club as chairman claims his knowledge is ‘second to none’

Neil Warnock is expected to make a sensational return to English football with one of his former clubs, according to reports. The 75-year-old announced his retirement from football management earlier this year after a short-lived spell in Scotland with Aberdeen.

Warnock, who has been in football management since 1980, won just two of his eight games at Pittodrie, but was credited with leading them to a Scottish Cup semi-final.

The EFL veteran has managed a combined 15 clubs in a sensational career in football and is now likely to take on a role at his former club Torquay United 31 years after saving them from Football League relegation.

That’s according to BBC Sport, who have revealed that the Yorkshireman has been advising the Bryn Consortium - made up of local businessmen - who are on the verge of buying the Devon based side, subject to approval.

"Neil's knowledge of football is second to none," Torquay's new co-chairman Michael Westcott told BBC Sport.

"He knows our club very well, he knows our region very well. He and I have spent an awful lot of time together over the last six weeks or so and I think that relationship will continue."

Westcott arrived at the National League South side alongside Torquay businessmen Mark Bowes-Cavanagh, Tom Allen, Rob Hawes and Simon Robinson. The quintet make up the Bryn Consortium, which is named after the police dog that bit Gulls player Jim McNichol during the final match of the 1986-87 season.

Torquay famously beat the drop on the last day of the season in the stoppage time which was caused by that very incident.

The five lifelong Torquay fans are set to inherit a team that has been heavily affected by financial difficulties in recent times. Westcott is keen to emphasise that his consortium will be "responsible owners", and will not put the future of the club at risk, adding that any debts that the club currently owe will be paid in full and will be settled within six months of their arrival.

The exact nature of Warnock’s role within the new Torquay set-up has not yet been confirmed, though Westcott did hint that he would be there to help the future first team manager along with the players. He said: "I think he's a very reassuring presence both to young players and experienced players, and also to a football team manager.

"He's been around the football world for more than 40 years and the fact that Torquay United can benefit from his experience, his contacts, his presence, his personality, I think will be of tremendous support for the club as we start thinking about how we can be as competitive on the pitch as we possibly can."

Warnock worked initially as a consultant at Torquay in February 1993, but assumed the management role just a month later to save the team from relegation. Overall, he has won eight promotions in his career and will hope to be the catalyst for leading the Gulls back into the Football League for the first time since 2014.