Peter Taylor: Ex-Leicester City & Crystal Palace boss back in management at Maldon & Tiptree
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Peter Taylor's first job in management was with Dartford, from 1986 to 1990
Former Leicester, Hull and Crystal Palace manager Peter Taylor says his enthusiasm for football is undimmed after becoming Maldon & Tiptree boss.
The 69-year-old has been appointed by the Isthmian League North club after they sacked Adam Flint on Monday.
They are 18th in the eighth tier, three points above the relegation places.
"I've been doing a lot of scouting but I missed getting on to the training field to help a player become a better one," he told BBC Essex.
Taylor's previous management job with Welling United lasted from September 2021 to March of this year but he was dismissed after a run of only one win in 11 games.
"My wife said 'I've just read that you've had 24 jobs' and I thought that must involve the playing as well, but apparently not. If you've had 24 jobs, you've had 24 decent experiences," he said.
"It's not as if it's a seven-day-a-week job. You look at people in the Premier League and how busy they are. I've got much more freedom than that. I can certainly give Maldon the amount of time that they want.
"I've still got the same enthusiasm, I still love the football, I love the coaching."
"Two or three days before [being offered the Maldon job], I had an opportunity to go further up north as a director of football. That was a tough decision because it was a pretty good job but I'd then have to live in two houses again. Now is the time when I want to be where I'm based."
Taylor met his players for the first time on Thursday and his first game in charge should have been against Wroxham on Saturday, but it was postponed because of a frozen pitch.
Instead, he will have extra time to get to know his squad before they travel to Heybridge Swifts on Boxing Day.
"The first thing we have to do is get away from the position that we're in. We've got to get further up the table, otherwise we're in trouble," Taylor said.
"They've had a very up and down season. [But] the last manager is probably unlucky to lose his job because he started to turn it round."
The former Crystal Palace and Tottenham winger's long list of English clubs managed also includes a spell at Wycombe Wanderers in 2008-09.
Midfielder Matt Bloomfield - now boss of League Two club Colchester, just 20 miles from Maldon - was in his squad and said of Taylor: "He is someone I respect immensely, someone who I trust.
"It's great news for Maldon to have somebody of that calibre as manager of their club and some of our boys are on loan there - they can learn from him."
'England were unlucky against France'
Taylor had one match in charge of the England team 22 years ago
Taylor has also coached in India and New Zealand and was in charge of the England team for one match as caretaker boss in 2000 - a 1-0 defeat by Italy in Turin.
So what does he make of the current side's efforts at the World Cup in Qatar, and the position of manager Gareth Southgate?
"Against France, I thought we were unlucky. I don't like anybody taking two penalties in the same game - but in Harry Kane's case, if he'd had 10 penalties, I'd have told him to take them because he's exceptional at scoring them," he said.
"We're not far away and every time we have a tournament, we seem to produce another player. [Jude] Bellingham's come through now and I'm sure there's others.
"I think it's down to Gareth to make the decision [about his future]. The players like him, it looks like he's got a club spirit there. If he wants to carry on, I'm sure everyone would be delighted."