FOOTBALL fans have been left in shock after a Premier League cult hero was announced as the manager for his new club in an over the top video.
Former Newcastle star Steven Taylor has been named as the new boss of United Arab Emirates club Al Qabila.
AFPFormer Newcastle star Steven Taylor has been announced as the new head coach of Al Qabila[/caption]
Instagram @soheil.varAn over the top announcement video saw the club’s owner, Soheil Varahram, discuss Taylor’s abilities[/caption]
TIKTOK @SOHEIL.VARVarahram watched as an blacked out van approached[/caption]
TIKTOK @SOHEIL.VARTaylor emerged from the van as dramatic music played[/caption]
TIKTOK @SOHEIL.VARThe pair posed together as they announced Taylor as the new manager of the club[/caption]
Al Qabila are yet to play a professional game of football and have been created by TikTok sensation and former UAE first division footballer Soheil Varahram.
The club is a project created by Varahram with the intention of being built from the ground up in just 365 days.
And after announcing club names, badges and kit designs, Varahram and his business partner took to social media to announce the arrival of their new manager, Taylor.
In a video shared with Varahman’s 1.2million TikTok followers the 25-year-old and his partner discussed Taylor’s impressive CV before having the ex-Toon defender pull up in a blacked out Mercedes van.
Vahrahman said: “This coach, his mentality is on a different level, he’s been at the highest level of football – what else could you want?”
While the announcement video finished with Taylor looking directly down the camera in an all-black suit and saying: “Guys, I’m excited to be a part of the tribe. Let’s take over.”
Despite his 194 Premier League appearances as a player, Taylor also has valuable experience as a manager too.
The 38-year-old has held the position of manager of fellow UAE side Gulf United since 2022 and guided the club to back-to-back promotions.
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In fact Taylor was in charge of the team when he offered Vahrahman his first ever professional football contract in September 2022.
Regardless of the connections and the experience held by Taylor, fans were still shook by the announcement and took to social media to react.
One fan wrote: “Steven Taylor with the most hype head coach announcement video ever.”
While another added: “You could have given me 1,000 guesses at who was in that car!”
A third joked: “If other coaches are now not announced like this, I have zero interest.”
And a fourth posted: “This could only be better if Andy Carroll was announced as his assistant.”
Steven Taylor’s playing career
2003: Wycombe Wanderers, LOAN (6 apps)
2003 – 2016: Newcastle United (268 apps)
2016 – 2017: Portland Timbers (12 apps)
2017: Ipswich Town (3 apps)
2017 – 2018: Peterborough United (51 apps)
2018 – 2021: Wellington Phoenix (62 apps)
2020 – 2021: Odisha FC, LOAN (17 apps)
Steven Taylor spent the last few years of his career playing in New Zealand for Wellington PhoenixGetty Images – Getty