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Neil Warnock is finally starting to enjoy his well-earned retirement after more than 50 years in football.

The veteran boss called it a day back in April, so he has ample time to look back on his long and adventure-filled career that saw him start out as a young player at Chesterfield in 1967 before ending it as manager of Middlesbrough 54 years later.

A record promotion-winner, Warnock has plenty of tales to tell from down the years. And as well as the highs and lows, like most gaffers, there is always the 'one player that got away'. In the case of Warnock, it is one of the Premier League's best defenders in the form of Liverpool rock Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds stumped up £75million for the Dutch general in 2018 and he has since become a key figure in Jurgen Klopp's side, helping them lift the Premier League and Champions League. But it could have been all so different had Warnock lured him to Crystal Palace in his second stint in charge of the Eagles in 2014.

"The one that got away from me was Virgil van Dijk," Warnock told . "I got offered him when I was at Crystal Palace for £5million.

"But my chief scout said he was too slow and he ended up at Southampton instead! It’s a shame because anything he may lack in pace, he makes up for 10-fold in his ability to read the game."

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