City boss lauds plans for new training complex
“We want to keep producing players and it will have such a big effect on the academy to have a fantastic facility and as much as I want it as first team manager, for the selfish reasons of the first team, it’s an investment and if there is anything this club is going to invest in, then surely it’s our academy and our production line.
“There are so many players, so many examples of players coming through and there is no reason why that can’t keep happening. Imagine if they have the facilities on top of the coaching and the pitches as well.
“It has been a long time coming, but let’s not forget what a big impact the pandemic has had, it has increased the amount by a big amount, which is why it has put us in this position of looking at different ways of funding it. But this has been a work in progress from way before my time.”
Taylor also pinpoints the huge advantage it will have at first team level as well and hopes considerably better facilities will be more of an attractive proposition to prospective
transfer targets and give Exeter a better chance of getting to – and staying in – League One.
“Nothing breaks you more as a manager than when you can’t feed your players,” he said. “My belief is that, as a footballer, breakfast and lunch are the most important meals of the day, so having a canteen will enable us to provide that because nutrition is part and parcel of being an athlete.
“The S&C (strength and conditioning) provision we have in terms of a gym is inadequate, so hopefully that will be improved with new facilities and then things like the communal areas, better offices, bigger changing rooms an analysis room and kit room just gives better provisions to work with and when that standard goes up, along with what we do coaching-wise, then players will want to come to this football club.
“Location is always going to be a factor, we know that, but when you show players around, they are impressed with some aspects of our training ground, but then they see the leaks and breaking building. It doesn’t need to be luxury, but it needs to be functional.”