The news that England are to play at Leicester City FC will bring back memories
The news that England are to play at Leicester City FC will bring back memories galore for Peter Taylor. But his mind is now focussed on waking up a sleeping giant, as he tells TheFA.com...
"I can certainly say I haven't had a boring time in my football career," says Peter Taylor. And that is something of an understatement!
From Dover and Southend to making David Beckham England captain. Premiership disaster with Leicester City and promotions with Gillingham and Brighton.
It is never dull where Taylor is concerned. His latest challenge is waking the sleeping giant of Hull City.
Taylor was appointed the club's sixth manager in six years and, after a dreadful start that created whispers he would be sacked, he has guided The Tigers to two away wins on the trot that has the fans talking about play-off spot.
"I am certainly enjoying the job," says Taylor, who was England's caretaker-manager for a friendly against Italy in Turin between the eras of Kevin Keegan and Sven Goran Eriksson.
"Last week brought back a few happy memories when I watched Manchester United on the TV beating Juventus in Turin - the Stadio Delle Alpe where I had been with England.
"This week I was at Macclesfield and we got three points which was a great result because Hull have a poor record against them.
"It was funny, people from the Macclesfield crowd were saying 'from England to Hull'. But I have to be honest with you, I am loving every minute of it. It is potentially a brilliant job and a job I eventually hopefully will get right."
Hull won 5-1 at Carlisle on Saturday a single goal by Stuart Elliott on Tuesday night has put them within seven points of a play-off spot.
Taylor famously picked a team of under-26s - barring the goalkeepers - to face Italy, making Beckham captain of his country for the first time. As a club manager though, he admits he can't always give young players a free run.
"I would always give youth a chance but they have to be good enough players to get into the team," he says.
"We need a bit of experience at the minute because the Third Division is a tough division to get out of. You need a good blends, good legs but people to calm down the legs as well.
"One of our most important players is Ian Ashby, a good pro who has played for Derby and Cambridge. We need his experience."
Taylor has always achieved success in the lower divisions and won huge praise for the way he managed the England under-21s. His taste of the Premiership was less enjoyable - sacked by Leicester with the team bottom of the table despite big money spent on the likes of Ade Akinbiyi.
"I have enjoyed all of it. I think I am realistic with targets; working with the best players in the country, you can't do things exactly the same as players in the Third Division.
"Of course you have to adjust. After a few months at Hull, I am getting to know with the players.
"We have a beautiful stadium, we are very lucky and if we can get the team right we can fill it and there will be some atmosphere. I have told the players we have 33 points to play for this season and that should be our aim."
Taylor was plucked out of relative obscurity by Glenn Hoddle to take charge of the under-21s. The Hull boss says their friendship will last the test of time, but admits the hurly-burly world of football means there is no time to look back with nostalgia.
"I speak to Glenn now and again - we always will - but really I am too busy doing this job to speak on a regular basis. That is football, whoever you have met in the past - they are getting on with their jobs and I am getting on with mine."
Taylor is a true survivor and, having resigned from Brighton at the end of last season having won them promotion to the First Division, it may be a case of one step back to take two steps forward.
"I am happy to work in football, it doesn't have to be the Premiership," he says.
"I am happy to work somewhere where there will be a positive finish. I want to get Hull much higher."
From Joe Bernstein