Walsall Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of Matthew Taylor who will become our new Head Coach on 1st June 2021.
Taylor will be assisted at the Banks’s Stadium by former Blackpool manager and Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United coach, Neil McDonald, who will take up the role of First Team Coach.
39-year-old Taylor joins the club from Tottenham Hotspur where he has been part of the coaching staff at the Premier League club concentrating on the performance of Spurs’ young talent.
He also had a brief spell as Swindon Town’s interim manager in 2018 after the departure of David Flitcroft. A year later, he acquired his UEFA Pro License and has been working at Spurs since 2019.
As a player, Taylor represented Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United and Burnley in the Premier League, making over 300 appearances . He also had spells at Luton Town, Northampton Town and Swindon Town in the EFL.
The new Head Coach will see out the remainder of the campaign at Spurs before arriving at the Banks’s Stadium.
Taylor is looking forward to the challenge and is delighted to have been named as the club’s new Head Coach.
“I’m very happy to join the club,” he said. “As with a lot of things in football, they move fast and this is no exception.
“I’m extremely honoured to be given the opportunity to be Head Coach of Walsall and I’m really excited. In football and life, a lot of it is about timing and in my opinion it’s very good timing.
“The club, the owner and the Technical Director want the opportunity to bring success back to Walsall Football Club and I hope I can be part of that.
“Winning football matches is never easy but what I’ve learnt in the last two years gives me an opportunity to build a style of play that the fans resonate with and enjoy watching, with the aim of delivering positive results on the pitch.
“It’s about building an identity of what we are and that the football team on the pitch replicates this on the pitch. One thing I can guarantee to all the supporters is their team will always give 100 per cent on the pitch because as a player, I was always that way and as a coach, I’m always that way and therefore I expect the players to reflect that.”
Chairman Leigh Pomlett is pleased to have his number one target on board.
“Matthew is young, ambitious and successful and I am delighted that we have been able to attract him to leave Tottenham Hotspur to become our Head Coach,” Leigh said.
“I have spent a number of hours talking with Matt in recent days and he meets the profile of the Head Coach I am seeking for Walsall Football Club.
“Coupled with Neil McDonald and working closely with Jamie Fullarton, we now have the right set up to drive the Walsall football agenda forward. I do not want more of the same and I am looking for a significant shake up of the club and believe this is the right team to do it. I welcome Matthew to the club and look forward to his impact.”
Technical Director Jamie Fullarton was impressed by Taylor and is looking forward to working with him.
“I am delighted we have been able to secure Matthew as the new Head Coach,” added Fullarton.
“During a thorough recruitment process undertook, Matthew was our stand out candidate and was our number one target for the role.
“He has a clear defined vision and detailed plan along with the skill set and character to drive the club forward in a direction that aligns with the club’s strategy.
“I am really looking forward to working with Matthew, who will no doubt have a major impact and will create a genuine feeling of optimism amongst everyone involved with the football club for the coming season.”
We will officially unveil the Head Coach at a press conference on June 1st.