| view Taylor's match-by-match record |
| Shaun TAYLOR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A relatively late arrival to the professional game, Taylor joined Exeter from Western League outfit Bideford Town, part way through the 1986/1987 season, at the age of 23. It was from Exeter that Glenn Hoddle brought him to the County Ground five seasons later, paying £200,000 for a player who was now the club captain, and a local hero. It proved to be a shrewd piece of business. Taylor made his debut for Swindon on the opening day of the 1991/1992 season, in a goalless draw at Leicester City. He quickly forged a solid defensive partnership with Colin Calderwood, helping the Town rise from a disappointing 21st position up to 8th, just missing out on a play-off place. He also showed he had an eye for goal - scoring five in his 53 appearances. Whilst Taylor was perhaps not blessed with great skill or pace, he more than made up for it with his total and utter commitment. He never gave less that 110% for the cause, and the fact that he wore a gumshield when he played tells a lot about his playing style. Never afraid to put his head where it hurts, it was a regular occurance for Taylor to leave the pitch having taken a knock, only to return minutes later with a bandage and some more stitches. The 1992/1993 season proved to be Taylor's most successful at the club, as the Town won promotion to the Premier League. Taylor was instrumental in this success, being ever=present and scoring thirteen goals along the way, including a typical effort in the play-off final versus Leicester - beating the keeper to the ball with a diving header before clattering into him. After Calderwood's departure in the close season, Taylor took the captaincy for the Town's season in the Premier. In truth, his pace was exposed at the higher level, but nevertheless he was the Town's only ever-present player. The following year, he added another 45 appearances to his total, as Swindon succumbed to their second successive relegation. In his final full season, he captained the side to the Second Division title, whilst scoring another seven goals. By now, Taylor was firmly installed as one of the Swindon greats, and he became the first person ever to win the Player of the Year award three times. To the disappointment of Town fans, Taylor was sold to local rivals Bristol City for £50,000 in September 1996 - with the club in financial difficulty, and with his contract up at the end of the season, the decision was made to let him go. Having moved into coaching, it would come as no surprise if Taylor becomes a Town manager in the future. PLAYING RECORD:
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date of birth
usual positions central defence senior career |
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ENGLAND
