"It's a surprise for me to be here today, I thought I would have been at Tottenham or Forest or somewhere like that. I could do a better job, but they never asked me," jokes Neil Warnock.

One of English's football's most decorated managers is used to getting the call with 12 games to go to come and save a team from relegation.

But this time he is back at former club Torquay United after an absence of 33 years in an attempt to get them promoted to the National League.

Warnock was named interim manager of the National League South side after Paul Wotton was sacked by the Gulls on Sunday after a five-game winless run which took them from top spot to fourth.

"I know I'm at an age where people don't normally get managerial jobs, but I've enjoyed this morning like I've been here all year," says the 77-year-old. "It's lovely to be back with the players, they keep you young."

Warnock, who has managed a record 1,626 games in professional football in England, and led sides to promotion a record eight times, knows all about the Torquay squad.

The former EFL club, who slipped out of the league in 2014, are in their third season in the sixth tier.

Warnock has been working as an advisor to Torquay's owners since they took the club out of administration in the summer of 2024, and helped the Gulls appoint Wotton as boss from then National League South rivals Truro City.

Having missed out on the title on goal difference, Wotton's side were beaten in the play-offs at the end of last season.

They have been in and around the top of the table this season, and were three points clear three weeks ago, before a five-game run in which they took just one point and lost their past three matches - the final defeat a 5-0 home loss to Chelmsford City.

"I didn't envisage anything like this," says Warnock during a press conference in a windowless room in the bowels of Plainmoor.

"I helped bring Paul to the club and I think he's done a fantastic job over the last couple of years.

"It's sad how it's ended, when a few weeks ago he got manager of the month, but that's football and I understand that.

"As long as the fans realise what he's done, because he built the club from nothing when he first came."

Warnock says he has "no idea" how long he will be in charge for.

For the time being he is planning for Tuesday night's game with Farnborough at Plainmoor as the Gulls look to try and get their season back on track.

He has not managed a side since he left Aberdeen after a short spell with the Scottish Premiership side more than two years ago, but was energised after his first training session on Monday.

"It makes you realise how much you miss it," he tells BBC Sport.

"You know, being at the training ground this morning, you can't replicate that camaraderie with the players, no matter what you do. You can do Talksport, Sky TV and all that, but it doesn't replicate it."

Some might wonder if a 77-year-old who has not managed for more than two years still has what it takes to be in charge of a side at any level of the professional game.

But if anyone can do it, it is surely Warnock, who is still held in high regard by some of the world's best.

"Even Pep [Guardiola] said to me when I had a chat, and I had a chat with his players and I made them laugh with a few things that I said.

"He said to me after, 'I understand why you had so much success, Neil, because we don't have humour in the game nowadays. It's all data, stats, people up there picking a team, somebody down there on a computer telling me who to sign'.

"I don't forget that. I love the humour and that's what I enjoyed.

"Today I enjoyed making some of them laugh, but I also wanted to make them understand the seriousness of the situation at the same time, and I won't tolerate certain things either."

One thing is for certain, come Tuesday evening at Plainmoor, Torquay's play