"Everything was signed and I was ready to come down."
Neil Warnock has revealed how he almost became Ipswich Town manager, while also sharing his thoughts on the Blues, current skipper Sam Morsy and that infamous Sol Bamba moment at Portman Road.
Warnock, currently in charge of Huddersfield, has managed 16 clubs during his managerial career and holds the record for most promotions as a manager with eight.
During his exclusive interview with the East Anglian Daily Times and the Ipswich Star, Warnock said that he "really respects Ipswich fans due to their banter."
He said: "I was never a good enough player to come up against Ipswich.
"I remember going to see them when I was very young, when they played against Sheffield, and there were two lads, Ted Phillips and Ray Crawford.
"Ted Phillips had the strongest, hardest shot you will ever see in your life
"It was like a missile, with no backlift, and he used to just whack it in.
"I always thought the fans were good too.
"They were always sensible, they were never mean to one another.
"I really respect them for their humour. It was never nasty or anything, it was always a good laugh.
"It was how it should be. We go to the football with mates to have a laugh and have a go at somebody.
"I like to have a laugh. I like to make people laugh.
"I feel the enjoyment of the game has gone down a little bit, so I just try and make people laugh.
"I try and put smiles on faces and whether you like me or hate me, I have been called so many names, but I love it."
He is well-known in Suffolk for visits made to Portman Road in the past, including his altercations with players and staff during his Sheffield United's team visit in 2006.
And who can forget when Sol Bamba had a moment of madness before receiving a red card for Cardiff City in 2016?
Warnock said: "I remember having Sol Bamba almost headbutt me on the touchline.
"I was holding him by his shirt, trying to hold him down, dragging him. It was carnage.
"I've had some great times at Portman Road."
Warnock said that he almost became an Ipswich manager once upon a time, but was called just before coming to meet the chairman to say they had gone in another direction.
He said: "It would have been the perfect time for me to go to Ipswich.
"I think I would have done really well with the team.
"It was all agreed, everything sorted for me to come and meet with people on a Wednesday.
"On that Monday afternoon, I got a call from the chief executive who said 'Neil, I'm sorry, but we are going to go down a different avenue'.
"I said 'what, we have agreed everything for me to come'.
"They didn't want to pay the compensation fee, so they gave it to someone else.
"I asked who, and they said, we are giving it to Roy Keane."
Mr Warnock has said that it would have been a good time to come to the club, and that he would have done a good job at Town.
He also spoke about Ipswich skipper, Sam Morsy, who he worked with at Middlesbrough before the midfielder left to join the Blues in 2021.
Warnock said: "There's no way I wanted him to leave. What a good pro he is.
"For some reason the chief executive at Boro wanted him gone, they couldn't wait to sell him.
"But he was a manager's dream. You want him on your team, in the trenches with you.
"I am pleased he is doing so well at Ipswich."
Warnock, who played for Barnsley, took charge Plymouth, managed Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore at Torquay, and is good friends with Derby manager Paul Warne, has said that the League One promotion race could be anyone's.
He said: "I was at the Plymouth v Ipswich game earlier this season and what an advert for League One that was.
"The crowds are unbelievable for the level as well, you could go anywhere in the world and you don't get crowds like that at third-tier level.
"Whoever goes up though, will be getting one or two good messages."
On September 1, the 74-year-old is holding a show at the Regent Theatre in Ipswich for the Kevin Beattie Foundation.
His show, Are You With Me, will feature many stories from his time as a manager, as well as times facing Ipswich Town in more detail.
For tickets and the chance to hear more stories from Neil's time as a manager, and his Ipswich memories, click here.
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