Neil Warnock has admitted he's shocked the Aberdeen board didn't take his advice and appoint a permanent manager imminently after his departure. 

The veteran boss took the interim reins at Pittodrie following Barry Robson's dismissal in January but lasted just 33 days, sensationally quitting in the aftermath of taking the Dons to the Scottish Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win against Kilmarnock.

Warnock, who's reason for stepping aside was to allow Aberdeen to name a long-term successor before the end of the season, failed to win any of his five league games and his time in Scottish football has been branded a "failure" by many. 

However, the 75-year-old still thinks fondly of the north-east outfit despite being bemused by the decision to wait until June for incoming head coach Jimmy Thelin to start - particularly because of the expected squad overhaul awaiting the Swede in the summer. 

Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, Warnock said: "I had an offer in February, I think it was, to Aberdeen. The chap who asked me to go there, Alan (Burrows), he was at Motherwell a few years ago and asked me about going there. But I said ‘sorry I didn’t want to leave the Championship. 

“I always thought Aberdeen were a top club really, and nothing changes my mind. I wasn’t there long, I was only there five weeks.

READ MORE: Aberdeen caretaker boss addresses Barnsley managerial speculation

"I got them to the semi final of the cup but we never won a league game. We lost three games and drew two.

“The three games, every game we should’ve won. Mistakes cost us dearly.

"But it was a good club and I left because I thought they needed to get someone in having looked at the squad.

“I thought they needed to get somebody in straight away and give the new manager five or six weeks to look at the squad because it needs quite a major overhaul.

“And I thought that's what they were going to do but they didn't do that in the end and just left it.

"They have appointed somebody now but he's not coming in until the summer, so I thought that defeated the objective of it really. But it's a nice club with nice people. A bit cold up there, though."