Ipswich Town: 'Youngsters should still clean boots' - Steven Taylor

Steven Taylor spent 13 years at his boyhood club Newcastle United

Ipswich Town defender Steven Taylor believes all young footballers should still clean the boots and fetch coffees for the first team.

The 31-year-old former Newcastle United centre-back has joined the Championship side until the end of the season.

And he was taken aback by an offer to clean his boots by a Town youngster.

"I think that should happen at every football club, you earn your right and the respect of every first-teamer," Taylor told BBC Radio Suffolk.

He has moved to Portman Road after spending the first part of the season in the United States with MLS side Portland Timbers, having left Newcastle in the summer after 268 appearances.

He played under the late Sir Bobby Robson during his time at St James' Park, a legend at both Newcastle and Ipswich, and Taylor says there are similarities with the regime under Town boss Mick McCarthy.

"What the boys do here brings back memories of Newcastle," continued Taylor, whose new side are currently 17th in the Championship table.

"When you were a young lad you had to do certain jobs around the place, like the boots, shampoos for the first team, get the coffee, don't eat until the first team get here.

"After the old heads left at Newcastle, it became a thing where the reserves don't do that any more.

"I came in on my first day here and had a young lad come up to me and ask to clean my boots, and I said 'I'll do it myself', because I wasn't used to it.

"It brings back memories of how a club should be run and that's how Mick McCarthy is and how it was with Bobby."

McCarthy reiterates summer decision

Mick McCarthy and his Ipswich team were booed off after the Derby loss

Following Tuesday's 3-0 home defeat by Derby County, McCarthy reiterated his desire to speak to owner Marcus Evans at the end of the season about his position as manager.

"I've got a year's contract to run at the end of this season," said the 57-year-old. "I have no intentions of going anywhere, but let me see, I don't know.

"It depends how everybody feels about me come the end of the season. It's not a particularly pleasant place for me either at the moment by the way.

"I don't like turning that sort of performance out and the last thing I need is the abuse I get, so I will consider what I want to do."