Former England manager Peter Taylor has been appointed as the head coach by Kerala Blasters FC heading into the second season of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL).A former footballer himself, Taylor has turned out for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace in his playing days. In fact, he was one of the few players to have been selected for the English national team in the 1970s despite playing for a Crystal Palace side that did not operate in the top two flights of domestic football.His managerial career, much like his professional career as a footballer, has kept him in England until recently. Taylor served two terms as head coach of the England Under-21 team. He also took charge of the England national team for one game and was managing the England under-20 team in 2013. Interestingly, it was Taylor who first handed over the captain’s armband to David Beckham when he took charge of the English national team in November 2000.Most recently, he managed the Bahrain national team in 2011 leading them to victory at the first GCC games in Manama. This was the first time Bahrain had won a regional competition in its history. It was followed by a Gold at the 2011 Arab Games in Doha.Taylor has also been in charge of clubs such as Leicester City, Crystal Palace, Hull City, Bradford City, Dartford, Southend United, Dover Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers and Gillingham.“The inaugural season of the ISL was a huge success and I’m sure it will get better and better. The league had laid strong foundation in its first season to nurture Indian football. I’m personally impressed with the support that Kerala Blasters have received in the inaugural edition. Kerala has a strong legacy in Indian football and I am looking forward to working with the team and share the passion for football with the fans,” exclaimed Peter Taylor on his appointment.Viren D’silva, General Manager of the Kerala Blasters team, averred, “The ISL is a great platform to unearth talent for the national team. We are confident Peter will groom younger players into the stars of tomorrow. With the right philosophy and attitude Kerala will aim to be among the top performers in the second edition.”
