MATTHEW Taylor has been appointed manager of Swindon Town's League Two rivals, Walsall.

The former Town player of the season will be officially unveiled as the Saddlers' new head coach on June 1 after seeing out the rest of this season at Tottenham Hotspur, where the 39-year-old works as a youth team coach.

Taylor, who takes over from interim manager Brian Dutton, will be assisted by former Blackpool head coach, Neil McDonald at the Banks' Stadium.

The ex-West Ham, Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers man was briefly in charge of Town in 2018 after the departure of David Flitcroft. A year later, Taylor acquired his UEFA Pro License and has been working at Spurs since 2019.

Talking to Walsall FC club media, Taylor said: “I’m extremely honoured to be given the opportunity to be head coach of Walsall and I’m really excited.

"In football and life, a lot of it is about timing and in my opinion it’s very good timing.

“The club, the owner and the technical director want the opportunity to bring success back to Walsall Football Club and I hope I can be part of that.

“Winning football matches is never easy but what I’ve learnt in the last two years gives me an opportunity to build a style of play that the fans resonate with and enjoy watching, with the aim of delivering positive results on the pitch.

“It’s about building an identity of what we are and that the football team on the pitch replicates this on the pitch.

"One thing I can guarantee to all the supporters is their team will always give 100 per cent on the pitch because as a player, I was always that way and as a coach, I’m always that way and therefore I expect the players to reflect that.”

Meanwhile, outside contender for the Town job - according to bookmakers - Emma Hayes appears set to sign a new contract with Chelsea Woman, effectively ruling her out from any potential chance of taking over at the County Ground.

The 44-year-old had previously been linked with the AFC Wimbledon job earlier this year before guiding Chelsea Women to a domestic treble that included a second consecutive WSL title.

Hayes' current Chelsea deal is set to end in June, but the London-born coach said she had delayed signing fresh terms as she wanted her team to remain focused on finishing the season strongly.