New B Team boss Andy Taylor is excited about what the future holds as he prepares to take charge of his first game.

Taylor was named as Matt Craddock’s replacement earlier this month, leaving his role at AFC Fylde to join the project at Wanderers.

The young Whites continue their Central League campaign against Preston North End at Lostock on Tuesday afternoon (1pm).

“The team and the staff have been brilliant in welcoming me,” Taylor told the club website. “It feels like I have been here longer if I’m honest.

“I am really enjoying it. You can tell as soon as you walk in the place, the feel around the building is positive and the club is in a good place.”

Taylor had initially applied for the first-team coach role following Sam Hird’s departure and made a positive impression.

The former Blackpool and Sheffield United defender says he is passionate about developing young players and believes the role is a “perfect fit” for him.

“You have got your own team to manage and develop,” he continued.

“Within it, there is a lot of emphasis on individual development and developing young players to hopefully progress into the first team and beyond, which is something I am passionate about anyway.

“For me, it seemed the perfect fit in terms of getting experience leading a group and staff, but still having a real emphasis on the development of younger players, which I have got a background in. In the end, it was a no-brainer.”

The B Team was launched ahead of the 2022/23 campaign in a bid to bridge the gap between youth football and the first-team picture at Wanderers.

“It was something that Chris (Markham) spoke to me about and emphasised – it is still relatively new but we have got big plans to develop and grow it,” Taylor explained.

“Obviously, going back five or six years, the club was in a bad way and almost had to start again. But you can see around the place, there is a real drive and ambition.

“Chris told me how important the B Team is to the project, we want to develop players who go on to play in our first team, players we might sell to other clubs or players who might not quite make our first team but go on to have a career in the game.

“The B Team is the bridge between the Under-18s and the first team and it is so important.”