Journalist Michael Gannon has given his view on Celtic defender Greg Taylor following reports he could be about to sign a new deal.
A recent report from The Daily Record has suggested that talks between the club and the 23-year-old, whose contract is set to expire in 2023, are already underway, with the report going on to state that “initial discussions could see Taylor get a two or three-year extension and a wage rise”.
Taylor has been inconsistent when it comes to spells in the side since making his move to the club in 2019, often having stretches of games where he is out of the starting eleven whilst also coming in for some fierce criticism from the supporters.
Speaking on the latest edition of the Record Celtic podcast, Gannon seemed to suggest that Taylor deserves a new deal for the club based on how he has played for the Bhoys, but that he saw him more as a backup player moving forward:
“I think he struggles because he’s following the footsteps of a pretty decent left-back at Celtic in Kieran Tierney. So he suffers from not being Kieran Tierney, but I don’t think you can hold that against him. I think he’s worth keeping around, he’s rarely let Celtic down.
“It’s difficult for him, he came from a Kilmarnock team where his job is different to what it is at Celtic, and he’s asked to go and do these jobs that are far more complex and more attack-minded than what he did at Kilmarnock.
“I think he’s done pretty well, he’s never let the side down, that’s for sure. And we’ve seen this year as well with injuries and all that stuff, you’re going to need these guys around. Is he going to be the first-choice left-back in the next five years? I would doubt it.”
TIF Thoughts on Michael Gannon’s comments about Greg Taylor at Celtic…
Should Celtic get rid of Greg Taylor?
Yes
No
Gannon’s comments come across as fairly reasonable when you consider Taylor’s place in the team. Having failed to nail down a place in the starting eleven under Ange Postecoglou, it’s clear to see that he is trusted to play, just not regularly. That might be an indication that the Celtic boss might look for a new player in that position in the future.
Whether or not Taylor is going to be comfortable with that role as he moves forward throughout his career, with Gannon thinking he might not be a starter for some time, is unknown. But at least he has foundations laid at the club to build off, and at the age of 23, there’s still plenty of time in his career to prove that he can be a success in the position.
In other news: ‘Just never interested’, ‘Waste of space’ – Many Celtic fans fume as comments on 24 y/o emerge