Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor has penned a one-year contract extension, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Taylor took charge of City in May 2020 and has secured 79 wins from his 109 games in charge so far. He led the side to Vitality Women’s FA Cup success in his maiden year in charge, with City beating Everton 3-1 in the final at Wembley.
Taylor then oversaw a Continental Tyres League Cup final triumph over Chelsea in 2022 just three months before facing the Blues again in the 2022 FA Cup final at Wembley, losing 3-2 after extra time.
This year Taylor has had the difficult task of rebuilding a squad essentially from scratch after several key players left the Academy Stadium. City were beaten in their opening two league games of the season, losing to Aston Villa and Chelsea.
But Taylor rallied the troops and led them to a 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions, eventually reaching the semi-finals of the Conti-cup and quarter-finals of the FA Cup. City finished fourth in the WSL meaning the Sky Blues missed out on Champions League qualification.
Despite the setback, the City boss has signed an extension and has revealed his delight. “I’m very happy to have signed a new deal with the club – it feels great to have gotten it over the line," he said.
“I’m very happy to be able to commit to City for another season, and 2023/24 is one that I’m so excited about. We have been in a transitional period over the past 12 months, and the women’s game has changed so much during my three years in charge.
“We were fortunate to win trophies in each of my first two seasons, and although we haven’t been successful on that front this past year, the pride I’ve taken has come in different forms. I’ve really felt that it has been so enjoyable in terms of where the team is at, where I think that they can go and what they can achieve for this football club.
“I know that there is pressure on us to succeed, but I enjoy that – I have always challenged myself throughout my career and that’s now more important than ever as a coach.
“I really want to try and squeeze every single last drop out of what I feel I’m able to do personally, and I believe that this group of players have the ability to turn those nearly moments into actual moments with the support of myself and the staff to get us to the next level.”
Managing director Gavin Makel added: “We’re very pleased to have Gareth commit himself to the club for another year. Together, we are building an exciting team full of talented players, both young and experienced, all with a shared vision of beautiful football and on-pitch success.
“Gareth is someone who embraces the City Football Group methodology in its entirety, and it has been really pleasing to see him grow as a coach over the past three years.
“Nils [Nielsen] and I are very much looking forward to continuing our work with him next season alongside this amazing group of players, with the future being incredibly bright for Manchester City.”
