The talented full-back, who played in the Premier League for Aston Villa and Swansea City, has completed a bespoke version of the course, in a group of his international teammates, which included Ashley Williams, Joe Allen, Joe Ledley, James Chester and Sam Vokes.
Amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 43-times capped international completed the challenging course and now aims to take on the FAW UEFA Pro Licence, the highest-level coach education course currently on offer.
He said: “I loved it and wanted to get it finished from the day I started.”
Despite the coronavirus hindering his plans to continue the course face to face, Neil was able to complete the course in an online setting and was able to do so earlier than expected.
“Being there with the likes of Ashley Williams and Joe Allen was great. We’ve been together a very long time, from our early Swansea days and with Wales, and we all understand football.”
“But when we first got together and were asked to draw-up a session, even though we’ve probably done about 20,000 training sessions between us, we were looking at each other as if we didn’t know what to do.”
It was a real eye opener for the ex-welsh international, with his years of experience in coaching at under 16 to junior level, he and his ex-teammates had never had their roles reversed in a training session and were given key insights into what it takes to lead a coaching session.
With his teammates and mentors alongside him, the veteran of 146 Premier League games quickly grew into the course, having started his coaching journey as a teenager at Wrexham. During the course, he’s been working with the U16 team at Aston Villa and his son’s U8 grassroots squad.
Reflecting on that journey, Taylor said: “I’ve always seen football from a coach’s point of view.”
“Sometimes that was to my detriment as a player because I spent time thinking about ways my winger could improve, or my managers’ decisions, rather than shutting up and getting on with it.”
Ambitious Taylor, who was born in Asaph and learned the game at Mynydd Isa FC, is aiming to graduate from the next FAW UEFA Pro Licence cohort.
With such passion and knowledge of the game, Taylor is well placed to make a big impact on football globally, in the coming years.
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