Exeter City Football Club has appointed Matt Taylor as their permanent manager, marking his second spell in charge of the club. Taylor, 44, has been in interim charge at St James Park since March after Gary Caldwell left to take over at Wigan Athletic. He will work alongside the current coaching team, including assistant manager Kevin Nicholson and Dan Green, who has also been promoted to assistant. Taylor led Exeter to promotion from League Two in 2022 before leaving to take over at Rotherham United. He has since taken charge at Bristol Rovers before returning to replace Caldwell earlier this year. Taylor could not keep the Grecians in League One this season as they suffered relegation on the final day. The club chairman, Wilf Walsh, said Taylor's knowledge of Exeter's supporter-owned model and academy was key to his appointment. Taylor will face a tough task in rebuilding the team, with a number of experienced players leaving at the end of their contracts, including Ilmari Niskanen and Josh Magennis. He has warned of 'drastic' squad cuts and will look to bring through younger players from the academy. Taylor is grateful for the support of the fans, who have proven their loyalty and commitment over the years. He wants to have more local players in the squad, who have grown up in the area and truly reflect the fact they are 'one of our own'. The fans appreciate this aspect of the club and may be more understanding and give the younger players more time. Matt Taylor's appointment represents a safe move for the fan-owned club, which is having to make big financial cuts this summer. He knows the club inside out, having played for Exeter City Football Club and helped them win back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One between 2008 and 2009. Taylor scored 20 goals in 162 appearances for the club between 2007 and 2011. He left to join Charlton Athletic in 2011 before going on to play for clubs including Bradford and Cheltenham. Taylor returned to Exeter as an academy coach and was under-23s boss when he succeeded Paul Tisdale. He led the Grecians to a fifth-placed finish in his second season but they were beaten in the 2020 League Two play-off final by Northampton Town. Two years later, he led Exeter to promotion after finishing second in League Two, missing out on the title on goal difference to Forest Green Rovers. Taylor is excited to be part of the club's reset and is looking forward to working with the young players. He has a great deal of experience in developing young players and is committed to the academy and the model of developing young players, which has been so successful for Exeter City Football Club in recent years.