Despite a surprise defeat against St. Mirren, Celtic are still leading the Premiership race with a two-point cushion over their bitter rivals Rangers. Ange Postecoglou has revolutionized the club not only with his exquisite signings but also improving an array of first-team stars who were struggling prior to his appointment as the Parkhead boss. Greg Taylor is one such name who has been hailed recently by his compatriot Kieran Tierney.
“He’s been brilliant, inverted full-back, and that’s how we are playing down there, so I’m watching him every week trying to take tips from him. And it’s been brilliant to see him doing well because he’s a great guy. I’m really close to him, I speak to him a lot, so I’m buzzing for him.”
Said the Arsenal left-back (as quoted by The Glasgow Times) in the aftermath of an emphatic 3-0 Nations League win against Ukraine. He also labelled Taylor as one of Celtic’s best players this season.
Tierney was a Hoops regular for years before plying his trade at North London. The club roped in both Boli Bolingoli and Taylor to succeed the boyhood Celtic fan in the defensive third, but the pair failed to leave up to expectations under Neil Lennon. Bolingoli was the first-choice for his reputation at Rapid Wien, but his dreadful form eventually saw Taylor securing the first-team status down the left.
How Taylor Has Cemented His Place In This Celtic Side
Although he has often been criticized for his lack of depth and intensity, the balance he has developed in his game deserves commendation. Besides exhibiting his defensive composure, the timely overlapping runs, crosses, cut-insides and linkups with Filipe Jota, Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi make him an invaluable asset in Postecoglou’s free-flowing football.
Interestingly, Taylor began his career at Rangers but was eventually released for being ‘too small and too slight’. He then joined Kilmarnock and went on to make 131 senior appearances ahead of his Celtic transfer. The Scotsman is now close to featuring 100 times for the champions of Scotland and his stellar spell has restricted Alexandro Bernabei’s gametime even though the Argentine has been brought in to challenge and cover the ex-Killie star.
Taylor made it to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad following Andrew Robertson’s injury. He was introduced late in the Ukraine game in place of Tierney and the words of the Arsenal star must encourage his successor with a lot to play for both at home as well as abroad post-international break.
