Michael Harriman rates Peter Taylor as one of the leading coaches in the country and wants him to be the new permanent manager at Gillingham.

The on-loan defender knows what he’s talking about having worked with big names including QPR boss Harry Redknapp and ex-England manager Steve McClaren, who started the season coaching at Loftus Road.

Harriman has been given permission by parent club QPR to play in the FA Cup on Saturday and is hopeful his January loan will be extended until the end of the season. If he does stay on at Priestfield, he’d like to be working under Taylor.

He said: “Peter Taylor is up there with the best. His CV speaks for itself. He’s been with England under-21s and coached some great players there.

“You’re always learning with him and it’s been good so far. He’s trying to get us to adapt our game a bit now, to get it down and pass it a lot more.

“It’s been an interesting couple of weeks and enjoyable so far. I’m enjoying working with him, so it would be nice to carry on working with him.”

An FA Cup victory over Skrill North Brackley could help secure Taylor the job as Martin Allen’s successor. The players know what may be at stake but Harriman insists they simply have to focus on the game.

He said: “It doesn’t matter if it’s going to be his last game or the next of many – you always want to win. That’s our job. We just go out and play as well as we can."

Read the full interview with Michael Harriman in Friday's Medway Messenger.