Former Wellington Phoenix defender Steven Taylor has been unveiled as the first manager of new UAE professional club Al Qabila.
Taylor (38) was named in an elaborate reveal shared on social media, with the former Newcastle United player stepping out of a blacked-out Mercedes SUV in the desert, wearing a black suit.
His football CV is then described to viewers by Al Qabila’s co-creator Soheil Varahram who played for Taylor at UAE’s Gulf United.
Taylor then tells supporters: “Guys, I’m excited to be part of the tribe. Let’s take over.”
Main photo: Soheil Varahram (left) introduces Steven Taylor as the new manager. Photo credit @SoheilVar.
Tayor has made a successful transition into coaching and management since his retirement as a player in 2021.
He left New Zealand for the United Arab Emirates and won back-to-back promotions with Gulf United, recruiting and coaching players from Africa, Colombia, Morocco, Netherlands, Germany, Scotland and England.
Al Qabila has recently been awarded a franchise to join the UAE Pro League and Taylor has a year to recruit the club’s first squad.
Steven Taylor’s football journey
Taylor played more than 250 games for Newcastle United over 12 seasons of English Premier League.
After spells in the United States, and with English clubs Ipswich and Peterborough, he moved to Wellington where he made more than 60 appearances in two spells with the Phoenix.
While at Gulf United, Taylor signed former Phoenix teammate Gary Hooper.
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