Connor Taylor (footballer, born 2001) explained

Connor Taylor
Fullname:Connor Taylor[1]
Birth Date:25 October 2001[2]
Birth Place:Stoke-on-Trent, England
Height:[3]
Position:Centre-back
Currentclub:Bristol Rovers
Clubnumber:17
Youthclubs1:Port Vale
Youthyears2:2017–2019
Youthclubs2:Stafford Rangers
Youthyears3:2019–2021
Youthclubs3:Stoke City
Years1:2021–2023
Clubs1:Stoke City
Caps1:15
Goals1:0
Years2:2020
Clubs2:Ashton United (loan)
Caps2:1
Goals2:0
Years3:2020–2021
Clubs3:Chester (loan)
Caps3:3
Goals3:0
Years4:2021–2022
Clubs4:Bristol Rovers (loan)
Caps4:42
Goals4:3
Years5:2023–
Clubs5:Bristol Rovers
Caps5:33
Goals5:0
Nationalyears1:2018–2019
Nationalteam1:England Schoolboys
Pcupdate:13:39, 28 April 2024 (UTC)

Connor Taylor (born 25 October 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for club Bristol Rovers.

Taylor spent his youth at Port Vale's academy and Stafford Rangers before signing a one-year scholarship with Stoke City in September 2019. He went on to spend brief spells on loan at non-League clubs Ashton United and Chester. He spent the 2021–22 season on loan at Bristol Rovers and won the club's Young Player of the Year award after helping Rovers to win promotion out of League Two. Bristol Rovers signed him for an undisclosed fee in August 2023.

Early life

Connor Taylor was born on 25 October 2001 and grew up in the Eaton Park area of Stoke-on-Trent.[4]

Career

Stoke City

Taylor started his career at Port Vale's academy before going on to join Stafford Rangers.[5] He made some substitute appearances for Stafford in the 2018–19 season and represented England Schoolboys.[6] In September 2019 Taylor signed a one-year scholarship with Stoke City and joined their U23 squad.[7] In October 2020, Taylor spent time at Ashton United on work experience, playing in an FA Trophy game against Clitheroe and a Northern Premier League Premier Division match with Whitby Town.[8] [9] [10] Taylor joined National League North side Chester on a one-month loan deal on 18 December 2020.[11] Anthony Johnson, joint-manager of the "Blues", said that "he has looked like a 30-year-old centre back who has been playing for 12 years not someone that has just been dropped in for their debut".[12] The loan was extended until the end of January 2021.[13] Taylor signed a new 18-month contract with Stoke in February 2021.[14] Taylor made his senior debut for the "Potters" on 21 April 2021, coming on as a 17th-minute substitute for James Chester in a 3–2 defeat to Coventry City at the Bet365 Stadium.[15]

On 17 June 2021, Taylor joined Bristol Rovers on loan for the 2021–22 season.[16] [17] [18] Taylor contracted COVID-19 and the "Pirates" got off to a poor start to the campaign, but manager Joey Barton described Taylor as a "colossus" after Rovers picked up their first League Two win of the season in a 1–0 win over Crawley Town at the Memorial Stadium on 4 September.[19] [20] On 25 September 2021, Taylor scored a first career goal as he equalised with ten minutes to go as Rovers got a last-minute comeback victory at Walsall, the club's first away win in nine months.[21] Taylor's impressive early-season form continued and on 12 November, he was awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month Award. This came after two clean sheets in six matches and an impressive man of the match performance as Rovers defeated high-flying Harrogate Town, Taylor winning thirteen aerial duels.[22] [23] In February 2022, it was revealed by Barton that Taylor would undergo heart surgery at the end of the season after feeling unwell in a warm-up against Oldham.[24] In April 2022, Taylor was nominated for the League Two Young Player of the Season Award, facing competition from Leyton Orient's Shadrach Ogie and Newport County's Finn Azaz, missing out on the award to the latter.[25] On 7 May 2022, Taylor scored the second goal in a final day 7–0 thrashing of Scunthorpe United that saw Rovers overtake Northampton Town into the final automatic promotion place on goals scored.[26] The following day at the end of season awards, Taylor was named as the Bristol Rovers Young Player of the Season.[27]

On 14 July 2022, Taylor signed a new three-year contract with Stoke.[28] [29] He made eighteen appearances in the 2022–23 campaign, including eleven starts in the Championship. Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton had attempted to sign him in the January transfer window after Taylor had been dropped since Alex Neil replaced Michael O'Neill as Stoke manager; however, the bids were rejected.[30] Taylor had started six times under O'Neill, but was absent from the first-team between September and January.[31]

Bristol Rovers

On 3 August 2023, Taylor returned to Bristol Rovers – now a League One side – on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee,[32] [33] widely reported to be in the region of £300,000.[34] He spent the second half of the 2023–24 season plagued by a knee injury sustained in January, undergoing surgery in April 2024 to hopefully fix the problem for the start of the following season.[35]

Style of play

Taylor is a big, quick centre-back who is comfortable on the ball.[36]

Career statistics

+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke City2020–21Championship10000010
2021–22Championship00000000
2022–23Championship1403010180
Stoke City total150301019!0
Ashton United (loan)2020–21[37] Northern Premier League
Premier Division
10001020
Chester (loan)2020–21National League North300030
Bristol Rovers (loan)2021–22League Two423301010473
Bristol Rovers2023–24League One330401030410
2024–25League One0000000000
Bristol Rovers total753702040883
Career total94310030501123

Honours

Bristol Rovers

Individual

October 2021[22]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Club List Of Registered Players . . 23 September 2022.
  2. Web site: Connor Taylor - Defender - First Team - Bristol Rovers . www.bristolrovers.co.uk . 6 August 2021 . 19 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220419131332/https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/teams/first-team/defender/connor-taylor/ . dead .
  3. Web site: Connor Taylor . Stoke City F.C. . live . 19 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220819193257/https://www.stokecityfc.com/players/first-team/connortaylor . 19 August 2022.
  4. News: Smith . Peter . Fan-turned-first teamer Connor Taylor makes vow after Stoke transfer decision . 9 May 2023 . StokeonTrentLive . 9 January 2023 . en.
  5. News: Smith . Peter . New Stoke deals for Forrester and Taylor as they catch O'Neill's eye . 22 April 2021 . StokeonTrentLive . 25 February 2021 . en.
  6. News: Wilson . Matt . Three lions! Schoolboy trio get England call . 6 September 2021 . Express and Star . 13 December 2018 . en.
  7. Web site: Good luck Connor Taylor. Stafford Rangers . 5 September 2019 . 21 April 2021.
  8. Web site: Ashton Utd 1 Clitheroe FC 0 Buildbase FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round 31.10.20 . Ashton United . 31 October 2020 . 21 April 2021.
  9. News: Gordon . James . Saturday's transfer list - October 31st - The Pitching In Northern Premier League . 6 September 2021 . www.thenpl.co.uk . 31 October 2020 . en.
  10. Web site: Northern Premier League - Premier Division – Whitby Town 2 - 0 Ashton United – 2020-2021 . footballwebpages.co.uk . 6 September 2021 . en.
  11. News: Chester Football Club – Official Website » BREAKING Blues agree loan deal for Stoke defender Connor Taylor . 6 September 2021 . chesterfc.com . 18 December 2020.
  12. News: Baggaley . Michael . 'Stoke City have a real prospect' - Chester FC boss on young defender . 6 September 2021 . StokeonTrentLive . 9 January 2021 . en.
  13. News: Chester Football Club – Official Website » BREAKING Connor Taylor loan extended until end of January . 6 September 2021 . chesterfc.com . 19 January 2021.
  14. News: Cope . Niall . Talented teens secure new contracts . 6 September 2021 . Stoke City FC . 25 February 2021.
  15. News: Coventry almost safe after win at Stoke . 6 September 2021 . BBC Sport . 21 April 2021.
  16. News: Connor Taylor Joins Rovers on Loan! . 6 September 2021 . www.bristolrovers.co.uk . 17 June 2021 . en-gb . 30 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210730045013/https://www.bristolrovers.co.uk/news/2021/june/connor-taylor-joins-bristol-rovers/ . dead .
  17. News: Nicholson . Fraser . Connor is a Rover . 6 September 2021 . Stoke City FC . 17 June 2021.
  18. News: Pirates sign Stoke's Taylor on loan . 6 September 2021 . BBC Sport . 17 June 2021.
  19. News: Reis . Bruna . Stoke defender Taylor making his mark after 'difficult' start . 6 September 2021 . StokeonTrentLive . 6 September 2021 . en.
  20. News: Pawley . Luke . Stoke City defender Taylor branded a "colossus" by Joey Barton . 6 September 2021 . StokeonTrentLive . 6 September 2021 . en.
  21. Web site: Walsall 1–2 Bristol Rovers. BBC Sport. 25 September 2021. 26 September 2021.
  22. Web site: Connor Taylor named the EFL's Young Player of the Month for October. www.efl.com. 13 November 2021. 13 November 2021.
  23. Web site: Stoke City's Bristol Rovers star lands award once won by Zaha, Maguire, Bellingham and Watkins. Bristol Post. Frost. Sam. 13 November 2021.
  24. Web site: Joey Barton confirms Stoke City player set for heart surgery . Stoke Sentinel . 9 February 2022 . 9 February 2022.
  25. Web site: Connor Taylor Shortlisted For League Two Young Player of the Season. www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 14 April 2022. 14 April 2022.
  26. Web site: Bristol Rovers go up after extraordinary 7–0 win. BBC Sport. 7 May 2022. 9 May 2022.
  27. Official_BRFC. Bristol Rovers F.C.. 1523558638098337792. 8 May 2022. 9 May 2022. A rock at the back all season. Introducing your 2021/22 Bristol Rovers Young Player of the Year, @ConnorTaylor___! #BristolRovers.
  28. Web site: New contract for Connor. www.stokecityfc.com. 14 July 2022. 14 July 2022.
  29. News: Connor Taylor: Stoke City defender signs three-year deal for Potters . BBC Sport . 14 July 2022.
  30. News: Jones . Jordan . Joey Barton details Bristol Rovers transfer attempt to re-sign Stoke City centre-back . 9 May 2023 . BristolWorld . 3 February 2023 . en.
  31. News: Piercy . James . Rovers target Taylor delighted to be back in Neil's plans at Stoke . 9 May 2023 . BristolLive . 10 January 2023 . en.
  32. Web site: Connor Taylor signs for Bristol Rovers. www.stokecityfc.com. 3 August 2023. 3 August 2023.
  33. Web site: Connor Taylor is Back!. www.bristolrovers.co.uk. 3 August 2023. 3 August 2023.
  34. Web site: Exclusive: Bristol Rovers have bid accepted for promotion hero Connor Taylor. Bristol Post. Hargraves. Daniel. 1 August 2023. 3 August 2023.
  35. Web site: Bristol Rovers injury news ahead of Wigan as Connor Taylor has surgery to fix ongoing knee issue. Bristol Post. Hargraves. Daniel. 25 April 2024. 25 April 2024.
  36. News: Piercy . James . Connor Taylor's strengths, weaknesses and the expert view of Rovers loan target . 6 September 2021 . BristolLive . 16 June 2021 . en.
  37. Web site: Ashton United – Appearances – Connor Taylor . Football Web Pages . 21 April 2021.