Walsall FC are delighted to announce the appointment of former Northern Ireland international Maik Taylor as our new goalkeeping coach.
The 47-year-old becomes the latest addition to manager Darrell Clarke’s backroom staff, following the appointments of Marcus Stewart and Brian Dutton.
Taylor, who knows the Midlands well from his eight years with Birmingham City, played for a whole host of teams during his 21-year career, including Southampton, Fulham and Millwall.
“I am really looking forward to working here,” he told iFollow Walsall. “I am looking forward to getting started.
“I have my own philosophies as a goalkeeping coach but I am going to work closely and alongside what Darrell wants in terms of how he wants to play and use the goalkeeper in a tactical sense.
“I spoke to Darrell and he had had spoken to Gary Bowyer at Bradford City where I worked towards the end of last season and he said he had heard good things.
“It’s a good for me and, hopefully, will be a good for Walsall. Living local obviously helps but it is a fantastic opportunity, it is a great club, I have played here many times."
Taylor has over 600 competitive appearances to his name, including nearly 90 international caps for his country over a 12-year period.
The goalkeeper enjoyed his most successful spell as a player with the Blues, making over 200 appearances and featuring on the bench when Alex McLeish’s side won the League Cup in 2011.
Prior to taking up his new role with the Saddlers, Taylor studied for his UEFA B Licence and UEFA A Licence and was appointed as Northern Ireland’s goalkeeping coach in 2013.
Most recently, Taylor was part of the Bradford City set-up from March 2019 until the end of the campaign.
Following his appointment, manager Darrell Clarke revealed Taylor’s experience was a key deciding factor as to why he was chosen ahead of other applicants.
“His experience was a key factor in my decision,” Clarke added. “He was a top class goalkeeper during his playing days but he has also worked with some top class goalkeepers as well.
“When we get him out on the grass to coach the lads, we will be looking to use that experience and he will be working hard to improve our goalkeepers throughout the club and I know he will be a very useful addition.
“Maik will be working hard with our goalkeepers over the course of the season.
“The goalkeeping coach is an important part of the team and the backroom staff and I am really pleased that we have managed to get things sorted. I spoke to quite a few people about the post but Maik was the standout candidate.”