Manager Neil Warnock will leave Huddersfield Town after Wednesday's game with Stoke City, the Championship club have confirmed.
Having kept the Terriers in the second tier at the back end of 2022-23, the 74-year-old was planning on retiring from the dugout for the second time.
However, Warnock was convinced to remain at the helm during a period where the Yorkshire outfit have been changing ownership.
After a poor start to the season, collecting just one point from four matches, Huddersfield have since recorded back-to-back victories over West Bromwich Albion and Rotherham United respectively.
Nevertheless, after the encounter against Stoke at the John Smith's Stadium later this week, Warnock will again depart the Huddersfield hotseat.
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Despite reports of disagreements behind the scenes, chief executive Jake Edwards suggests that the decision to part ways is a mutual one while acknowledging that the club were keen to kick-start building for the future.
A club statement read: "I must start this statement by, on behalf of everyone at the football club, expressing my huge gratitude to Neil and his assistant, Ronnie Jepson, for the incredible job they have done at the club over the last six months.
"Keeping this club in the Sky Bet Championship, given the position the team was in when they arrived in February, was nothing short of amazing, and built upon their already lasting legacies at this club as a management team and, in Ronnie's case, as a player too. They are both, undeniably, Huddersfield Town legends, and have cemented their positions in this club's history.
"Our owner, Kevin Nagle, and I were so grateful when Neil and Ronnie agreed to stay at the club for the new season. All parties were clear that this was not a long-term appointment, but that it gave us important stability on the football side whilst the change of ownership was completed, and the new regime established itself at the club.
"At this point, we now feel we are ready to make a longer-term managerial appointment. I've had detailed discussions with Neil and, alongside Ronnie, Carl Serrant and Ian Bennett, he's agreed to step aside to allow us to do this."
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At a press conference, Warnock said: "We've actually done what we set out to do really. As Jake said, Kevin has a three-year plan to reach the Premier League. When Dean brought me back he pleaded for days and days and changed my mind and I said I'd come back and help while I was wanted.
"Once they told me they wanted to bring someone in, yes, I thought it would be about Christmas time, but once they told me that I think they had to move on quickly.
"If you're not wanted you want to go straight away. I don't mean that how it maybe sounds - we always said we'd be straight with each other and that's what we've done, and Ronnie and I wish them all the best. I've told the lads there's no reason not to push towards the playoffs now."
Warnock's second stint at Huddersfield comes to an end with nine victories and five draws from his 23 matches in charge, with his 39.13% win percentage the best of any permanent Huddersfield manager since Lee Clark between 2008 and 2012.
Darren Plant
