Would Neil Warnock have accepted an SOS call from Doncaster Rovers last term?

The club's former chairman John Ryan certainly thought so.

Ryan made his feelings clear last month when he revealed details of his conversation with Doncaster owner Terry Bramall to Rovers vlogger Daniel Pearson.

He said: “I said 'get Neil Warnock in, he will come back and keep us up'.

"If he'd have done that we'd have stayed in League One. Look what he did at Huddersfield just recently.

“He would have come to Doncaster, Neil, he's a good friend of mine. But maybe they didn't want to pay him a reasonable wage, I don't know.”

Doncaster were relegated on the final day of the season, finishing two points from safety.

Their attempts to 'bounce back decisively', in the words of current chairman David Blunt, ended in disaster as they recorded their lowest finish since returning to the Football League 20 years ago.

Warnock was quizzed about Ryan's claim when he attended an end-of-season event celebrating the success of Doncaster City in their inaugural campaign.

City, who are backed by former football agent Willie Mckay, were promoted from the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division Two – the thirteenth tier of English football – as champions.

They could step up two divisions for next season.

Warnock said: “I like John Ryan, I just wouldn’t go down below the Championship now.

"It’s the league I like, it’s the hardest league in England. You can’t pick between two fixtures and say top of the league is going to beat bottom of the league because it doesn’t happen.

"I nearly managed Doncaster once with John and nearly played for them one with Lawrie McMenemy.

"I was going to sign for them one day but he got the sack the next day and it didn’t materialise. I was close a few times.”

Warnock, who guided Huddersfield to Championship safety after coming out of retirement in March, was also asked if he prefers the red and white of Doncaster of blue of their city neighbours.

"I’m a red and white man, but I’m supporting City,” he said.

A decision on Doncaster City’s fate for next season is expected in June.