Leeds United coach tight-lipped on Elland Road future as Whites eye greater loan output

The former Middlesbrough and Cardiff City left-back took over the role when Mark Jackson stepped up to assist first team head coach Jesse Marsch at the end of February.

Jackson became interim first team coach and although he has acted as a 'good link' in Taylor's words between the 23s and the senior side, Leeds needed someone to oversee the reserve side on a full-time basis.

Taylor stepped out of his loans manager position to fill the void and while he admits the initial period after Marsch arrived was a hectic one, it felt like a natural move for him to get back out on the grass in a coaching capacity.

"It was a whirlwind for the first week, or two or three, where we're all trying to adapt to a new game model," he said.

"We as coaches, we're trying to understand fully Jessie's game models and then we can implement that to our lads. It's still a long process. It's still a transition. We're not going to do it overnight. I think it takes a bit of time. But we are learning and things have calmed down a little bit now when we start to see things that we're asking of the lads sort of been implemented in games as well."

Taylor has prior coaching experience from his time with Sunderland and says working with the Leeds young hopefuls has been enjoyable.

"It's been really good, a pleasure to work with some top players, top academy players," he said.

"It's been a big change in terms of the other role that I was doing but I've been in football all my life, played and then I was coach at Sunderland. I was only out of sort of the frontline football if you like for seven months, eight months, I think it was. So it was easy for me to just slip back into that routine of being on the grass every day and preparing for games."

Taylor's work as loans manager was already rated highly by the Elland Road hierarchy but that role will become even more important if, as expected, more players head out for temporary stints at other clubs next season. There are several players for whom regular football will be vital in 2022/23, particularly with the new demarcation of the two squads. Previously the 23s melded into the first team group but they now operate on a more separate basis. The likelihood is that Taylor will be required to switch back to his previous role in order to facilitate a greater operation in the loan system, and the club will need to seek a new 23s head coach.

Taylor, though, is not yet ready to think about what the summer will bring for him.

"At the minute, my main focus and I know it's a cliche is focusing on getting the season finished and hopefully keeping us in the top division," he said.

"Once that's done, I'll sit down with Adam [Underwood, academy manager] and Victor [Orta, director of football] and we'll assess the situation and let's see where we are with things."