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For other persons named Matthew Taylor, see Matthew Taylor (disambiguation).
Matthew Simon Taylor (born 27 November 1981 in Oxford) English football player. He currently plays for Bolton Wanderers F.C. as a left-sided defender and/or attacking midfielder, famous for his powerful long-range strikes.
[edit] Club career[edit] Early careerMatthew Taylor, whose father, Simon, is an architect, grew up in Abingdon, near Oxford, and was a keen schools and boys football player, winning the Vale of the White Horse Schools Cup in 1995 at under 13 level, and reaching the final of the Oxfordshire County Schools Cup in the same year, with John Mason School. He played for Quarry, based in Headington, who were managed by his father. They participated in the Oxford Boys League, which they won on several occasions apart from the 1993/94 season, when they were pipped to the title by arch-rivals, Witney Vikings. He was a boyhood Tottenham supporter, which has no doubt helped to fuel transfer speculation linking him with a move to White Hart Lane. [edit] Luton TownHe began his career at Luton Town F.C., making his debut at the beginning of the 1999/2000 season. He soon made the left wing-back slot his own and won the Young Player of the Year award in his first ever season as a professional. His success at Luton came after an initial trial at his local side, Oxford United, who told a young Matthew that, due his to his thick set build, he was 'too fat' and 'only good enough to go in goal'. [edit] PortsmouthHis impressive displays led to interest from Premier League clubs, but he instead decided, in July 2002, to sign for First Division side Portsmouth for £750,000.[1] The fee was set averting the need for a tribunal, causing then-Luton manager Joe Kinnear to lament: "at least Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask".[2] Usually playing as a left wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation, his speedy breaks down the left flank in support of the attack were a feature of Portsmouth's play as they lifted the First Division (now Football League Championship) crown in May 2003, earning him the chance to show his skills in the Premier League. As well as being a regular in the team during the season, he also scored seven crucial goals in the League. An injury picked up in the later stages of the previous season meant that Taylor was unavailable for the start of Portsmouth's first Premiership season. After returning to fitness, Taylor struggled to win his place in the side back due to the side's good early season form and Harry Redknapp's switch to the 4-4-2 formation. Some Pompey fans believe that Taylor never regained the explosive pace he had prior to his injury.[citation needed] Taylor eventually won a place in the Pompey team at left back, where he was a regular in the second half of the 2003–04 season and appeared to be regaining form. Despite failing to score a league goal in his Premiership debut season, Taylor did hit the equaliser in an FA Cup tie at Anfield on February 15, 2004; running the length of the pitch to celebrate with the supporters after a forceful right-footed finish at the Kop End. Taylor's first Premiership goal came against Middlesbrough on February 1 2005 but overall he made little progression from the previous season in 2004-05. [3]The summer signing of David Unsworth from Everton meant Taylor only became a regular in the side in the second half of the season, with Unsworth failing to impress the new Portsmouth management. New manager Alain Perrin utilised Taylor as a left midfielder during the 2005-06 season, a position many fans believed suited him better than the restrictive full back role. On October 29, 2005, he scored from 40 yards at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, winning the BBC Goal of the Month. Spotting the goalkeeper Kelvin Davis off his line, Taylor hit a dipping left-footed half-volley over Davis' head and into the back of the net. Portsmouth had been trailing Sunderland 1-0 in the crucial "six pointer" but Taylor inspired a second half comeback with two goals and two assists in a 4-1 victory. When Harry Redknapp returned, Taylor initially retained his attacking role but the arrival of Andrés D'Alessandro on loan and Redknapp's disapproval of Perrin's left-back, Gregory Vignal, meant that Taylor returned to full-back for the latter stages of the season. 2005/06 could be considered Taylor's breakthrough season as a Premiership footballer. In all he played 34 league games, scoring six goals. Two of these were crucial penalties; one in the last minute against Sunderland to secure a 2-1 win, and another in an away game at Wigan Athletic on April 29, 2006 to clinch another 2-1 win and survival from relegation. His good form for Portsmouth brought interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, but he signed a long term contract with Portsmouth in July 2006.[4] In the 2006–07 season, Taylor was a regular in the Portsmouth side on the left of midfield. Despite the team's good form, it took until mid-November for him to score his first league goal in a game against Aston Villa. He then added a second from the penalty spot in the same match before going on to score spectacular volleys in the next two games against Everton and Arsenal. This excellent form had been well received by the ex England manager Steve McClaren and many people were tipping him for the England call up but he appeared to have Joe Cole, Stewart Downing and Gareth Barry ahead of him in the pecking order.[citation needed] His first-half goal against Manchester United at Fratton Park in April 2007 sent Portsmouth on their way to a memorable 2-1 victory over the Premiership Champions. His final goal for Portsmouth was a penalty kick in a 3-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in August 2007. In a sense of irony he was to move to Bolton five months later. [edit] Bolton WanderersAfter losing his place in the Portsmouth team to Niko Kranjčar in the first half of the 2007-08 season, Taylor moved to Bolton Wanderers on Thursday 17 January 2008 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £4 million, after rejecting an offer from Sunderland AFC[5]. Taylor has settled well into northern life, and he is appreciated for the effort which he gives to the Wanderers cause.[citation needed] On 29 March 2008 Taylor scored his first goals for Bolton with a brace in the 3–2 home defeat to Arsenal. On 11 May 2008 Taylor scored his first away goal for Bolton with a historic last minute equaliser gaining Bolton a 1–1 draw against Chelsea on the last day of the 2007-2008 Premier League season. In July 2008, Taylor was given the number 7 shirt previously worn by Stelios Giannakopoulos. He had previously worn the number 32 jersey. Taylor scored the 50th goal of his career in a 3–1 win at West Ham on 5 October 2008 and reached double figures in the league for the first time when scoring against Chelsea on 11 April 2009. In July 2009 he signed a new long term contract at Bolton Wanderers [edit] Career statistics
[edit] ChantsBoth fans of Portsmouth and Bolton have a chant for Taylor which goes to the tune of Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag by Pigbag, which made the charts in 1982 and later in 1995. [edit] References
[edit] External links
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