Steven Taylor: I'd sacrifice a cup final ticket for seeing Gulf United win promotion

As a lifelong Newcastle United supporter and a long-time club servant, Steven Taylor could be forgiven for split loyalties this weekend.

On Sunday, not long before his boyhood club contest their first League Cup final in almost half a century, when they take on Manchester United at Wembley, Taylor will be thousands of kilometres away, plotting a victory of another kind in Al Mamzar.

The former defender, who represented Newcastle from 2004-2016, has for the past year managed Dubai-based Gulf United, leading them last year to promotion from the inaugural Third Division – the recently established fourth tier of UAE football.

Now they’re on the cusp of back-to-back titles. With three matches remaining, Gulf United sit top of the Second Division, with a win against Laval United on Sunday all but securing another vault up the league ladder.

But with his beloved Newcastle a solitary match from that elusive piece of silverware – it would constitute the club's first major trophy in 68 years – you wouldn’t blame Taylor for wanting to be among friends, family and fellow fans in London this weekend instead.

Yet that’s not the case at all.

“No, because this now is special,” Taylor tells The National having just taken a fitness session with his team in Al Quoz. “For what I’ve got here, I wouldn’t change it. If you ask me if you could sit on the bench or be here with the boys … I’m being here with my boys.

“It’s what the lads have done to get to this position. For me, Gulf United, these final stages, hopefully going to start something special for them having a career … I’d sacrifice a ticket for the final for this. All day long. I’m so obsessed by this now.”

Clearly, the passion is reaping rewards. Just like Newcastle, Gulf United are