Newcastle cult hero Steven Taylor has landed the managerial role at new UAE side Al Qabila - with fans loving his dramatic announcement.
The 38-year-old has impressed in the Middle East, where he guided Gulf United to back-to-back promotions to the second-tier in the United Arab Emirates pyramid.
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This has seen him drafted in by Al Qabila, a team set up as a project to be built from the ground-up within 365 days, who will be playing in the top-flight next season.
The club has been created by Soheil Varahram, who played under Taylor's tutelage at Gulf United, and will be a member of his side's playing squad.
Announcing Taylor's appointment, Varahram took to social media where he began to tease fans ahead of the ex-Magpies defender's arrival.
Sitting inside a blacked out Mercedes SUV, the 25-year-old was speaking of Taylor to the club's creative director Daniyal Sheikh.
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Lauding the 2010 Championship winner, the pair describe him as being 'at the highest level of football', with his 'mentality on a different level'.
Another Mercedes then pulls up in the desert, with a montage then playing of Taylor's celebrations during his time spent at St James' Park.
Wearing an all-black suit, Taylor then steps out of the vehicle, before shaking hands with Varahram, who reels off his impressive CV that includes over a decade playing with the Toon.
A proud Taylor then tells the club's new fans: "Guys, I'm excited to be part of the tribe, let's take over."
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Fans were loving the dramatic nature of the announcement video, as one user messaged: "If other coaches are now not announced like this, I have zero interest."
Another commented: "Steven Taylor with the most hype head coach announcement video ever."
This fan quipped: "Thought it was going to be Pep."
Another simply stated: "I thought it was Zidane."
Taylor spent the majority of his 18-year professional playing career with Newcastle United, having joined the club as a youngster following his family’s move back to Tyneside after his birth in London.
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He made over 250 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions, playing 12 seasons in the Premier League, before leaving his boyhood club to join Major League Soccer club Portland Timbers in the United States in 2016.
Taylor’s move across the pond was short-lived, though, as he agreed to terminate his contract after just five months, having made 12 appearances.
He returned to English football with Ipswich in the Championship for the second-half of the 2016/17 season, before then signing a two-year deal with Peterborough.
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The later years of his career saw him relocate again, this time to Australian after signing for Wellington Phoenix. He also enjoyed a brief spell in India with club side Odisha FC before returning to Willington and eventually retiring in September 2021.
He made a swift move into management, taking the job at Gulf United in January 2022, where he won back-to-back promotions, and is now embarking on a new project in the UAE with new club Al Qabila.