Quotes from Neil Warnock

It's difficult to motivate yourself to do the workouts when you get older but I train hard.

I never thought I'd rather watch England's cricketers batting for a draw than their footballers in the World Cup but it was a lot more exciting.

Football is a relatively small industry and there are times, while you want to be honest, that it is best to pull a few punches. You never know, you might need to work with that person again.

It's not an easy challenge picking up players in January, I've always found it tough. Clubs don't want to release their better players.

When you're younger, you worry about the sack and getting abuse and things, but when you get to my age, you become less bothered about those things. It becomes more like a hobby and less like life or death.

But referees have to remember there is a reason managers are being nice to them - we're hoping that it just might make the difference when there is a borderline decision.

On the plus side, leaving Leeds meant I have been able to spend a lot of time with the family, enjoying a very rare summer off and my first Christmas without work worries since I was a teenager. I was also able to accept an offer to work with BT Sport.

In the intervening 48 Christmases I have always either been a player, having to watch what I eat and drink, or a manager, worrying about what my players are eating and drinking, plus who is going to cry off tomorrow, who is suspended, who is carrying an injury, and the million-and-one other questions that fill a manager's every waking moment.

The sack is a sad fact of life for football managers. I have been axed three times. The chairman at Notts County was on record as saying it's the worst thing they ever did. Within a couple of years they were one game from losing league status.

I remember when I was younger I used to sing that Beatles song, 'When I'm 64', and think that's light years away for me - I was 18 when it came out. Now here I am.

I tried to download a jazz album this week and ended up getting some tracks four times, some once, some three times; in total I ended up with 50 tracks. I don't know how I did it.

Who's been with me longest? Kevin Blackwell. I signed him as a goalkeeper at Scarborough in '86 and he's basically been with me my whole career. He's been my goalkeeper, reserve goalie, now my assistant manager.

When you're younger, you have three or four bad results and you worry about everything. You worry about injuries, because they always seem to be your best players.

The players is what I enjoy, the training ground, making players better and believing in themselves because you can make a difference.

I don't think the authorities realise how much fans in general invest in their clubs.

That's what you want to do as a manager, finish the game, get in your bath and think about the kids going home, the young kids going home.

I wanted to retire at 55. Now at 61 with two young kids, I want to spend a bit of time with them.

It's good to see Graham Alexander back in the game. He was such a tremendous professional as a player so I know he'll give management his best shot.

As far as I can tell most people in football do not take colour into account when judging people. I certainly don't.

I like experience in my side, but you need a balance and young players give you energy, pace and, often, a freshness which means they have no fear.

As a manager I always trusted my players on Christmas Day. I did not see any point in dragging them into the training ground - a three-hour round-trip for some of them on icy roads - when they could relax with their families instead.

My three-course meal would be: smoked salmon with capers and a few prawns on there as well. Then it would be a dover sole grilled on the bone with a portion of green beans. And if I wasn't dieting or looking after myself, my favourite pudding would be bread and butter pudding with custard, ice cream and clotted cream all together!

Once, I used to have the local reporter on the team bus and I'd tell him everything, so when he wrote about the club he was informed, even if he couldn't print some things. Those days are long gone.

I've been fortunate most of the seven promotions I've won have been with sides I built from zero, so it is doubly rewarding. There is nothing to match being in the dressing room celebrating promotion after a long season with a group of lads you have put together.