'I snubbed Chelsea to stay loyal to club - their next move destroyed me'

Former Premier League boss Neil Warnock once revealed his decision to reject the Chelsea job "destroyed" him. His error of judgment felt even more painful after he was sacked just months later. Warnock, 77, was excelling at Notts County, guiding the club to promotion to England's top division in 1991. It was during this period that he received a lucrative proposal from Chelsea, who are once more searching for a manager after dismissing Liam Rosenior, but declined their approach to stay at Meadow Lane. Warnock later regretted that decision, as County couldn't stay in the division and he was sacked in January 1993. He expressed his regret over what might have been the most important appointment of his managerial career. Speaking on Seaman Says with Betway last year, he said: "I've never been at a club where I thought we had got to go and try and win the league. FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news and more on our dedicated Facebook page "I have won leagues, but I've never had a team where we've been favourite or everybody thought we should be doing this. I've always had to sort of build it. I've always gone into a club that's rock bottom. "I know it sounds silly but I'm at Torquay now. I was in the top flight with Notts County. I took them up from the third division to the first, which is the Premier League now, in consecutive years. "I turned Chelsea down, I turned Sunderland down and stayed put. And then they sacked me six months later, and it destroyed me. After what I'd done, I thought, 'Wow'." Warnock went on to manage the likes of QPR , Sheffield United and Cardiff City. Yet he'll forever be left pondering what might have been had he taken the reins at Stamford Bridge when the opportunity arose. Since leaving Notts, he racked up another 17 managerial roles in various capacities. So while the circumstances surrounding his departure may have "destroyed" his spirit at the time, it clearly didn't extinguish it entirely. The seasoned football nomad is currently serving in an advisory role at Torquay United, who emerged from administration last year. The club presently compete in the National League South and are set to feature in the play-off semi-finals on Saturday. The Gulls are looking to return to the top tier of non-league football, while Notts are set to be involved in the League Two play-offs. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.