Lyle Taylor keen to make an impact at Colchester after his exit from Cambridge

Lyle Taylor says he is keen to make an impact at his new club Colchester United after his exit from Cambridge United three months ago.

The 34 year old has singed a one year deal, with Taylor determined to extend that in a bid to put a stop to becoming an EFL journeyman.

The Cowley brothers have tasked Taylor with making an impact both on and off the pitch, scoring goals, helping the youngsters come through and much more as he explains in an interview below.

He will also be hoping for happier times with supporters of his own club, having caused a stir with a fair few of the former in recent years.

Lyle Taylor hit back at a Cambridge fan after being called out for telling own fans to ‘f*** off’. You can see more on that HERE.

✍️ 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐋𝐘𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐑!

Lyle is singing a contract until the end of the 2024/25 season.#ColU | #WeAreUnited

— Colchester United FC (@ColU_Official) July 2, 2024

LISTEN: The #ColU @ColU_Official striker, Lyle Taylor, talks to @BBCEssexSport about the big reasons behind choosing to join the U’s

— BBC Sport Essex (@BBCEssexSport) July 10, 2024

He said: “At the beginning of June, maybe the end of May, that I needed to get this done because I wanted a proper preseason, a full pre-season. It makes such a difference in terms of your capacity throughout the season. And as horrible as it is, it’s very important to have a baseline. And I needed a baseline and I wanted a baseline. Especially at my age, you need a baseline of strength and a baseline of aerobic fitness. So really, really glad to get it over the line. Really glad it’s with the people it’s with. And in this part of the world as well. It’s almost full circle.”

Interviewer: “You say full circle. You’ve had a couple of short term deals last season as well, which I guess is not great if you’re flitting around and thinking what happens at the end of this? And then suddenly you’re at another club and you’re air dropped in somewhere, parachuted in somewhere.”

Taylor: “No, it’s crap, to be completely honest with you. But I’m thankful to Wycombe and Cambridge because they gave me an opportunity when others didn’t or couldn’t or wouldn’t. So I’m thankful to them. And I’m here. I’m happy to be here. I chose to be here. And the manager, the assistant manager and Simon Bassey are massive in getting me here because of my relationship with them, obviously, Danny and Nick. I played alongside Nick. That’s how long ago it was. But Dan was, I suppose my first manager in men’s football, and Nick was the captain. And Simon Bassey has been a friend and a confidant and just somebody who’s been a massive part in my life and my development over the last nine years. So to be able to work alongside those people is massive for me. And that was why I chose to be here.”

Interviewer: “We spoke to Danny Cowley and I think he said that felt you maybe had had something to prove when you came in. Isn’t it amazing how football goes full circle? They were schoolteachers then at Concord. You were a youngster trying to make your name and suddenly they’re in the league and you come round and you’re working together again.”

Taylor: “Yeah. I mean, this isn’t by accident. This isn’t by accident at all. Yeah, okay, fine. It’s taken this many years for us to kind of marry up because when Danny got into the league, they were at a level that I wasn’t quite. And then we kind of flipped around and I had some success and ended up at a level above the level that they were managing and coaching at. So this seems to be a meeting of the minds. And I mean, this by no means is, oh, let’s just play for this season and then call it a day. Absolutely no chance. This is. This is. There’s a project at this football club. Yes, my deal is a year long and it’s up to me to earn a contract longer than that and that’s what I aim to do. But I want to be part of this project. This is. This is building a football club forward and I want to be part of that.”

Interviewer: “And with respect, given the level that you’re going to be playing at next season, you’ve proven you can do it at a higher level. So you would feel that you can be comfortable at this level and have a real impact.”

Taylor: “My job is to have an impact, whether that’s by scoring goals or setting goals up or helping in the dressing room or bringing young players along. That’s my job. That’s what I’ve been tasked with by the manager and by the assistant manager. I have to now do my job and we will come up with a plan to help the young boys develop, because that is such an important part of the game. And let’s be honest, they are the future of the club, the future of the game in this country, at whatever level they can get to. And they’ve got a chance between Brad and Sansom, they’ve got a chance of having really good careers. Two young boys that are obviously hungry, good athletes, well built, they just have to learn the nuances of being a horrible centre forward.:

Interviewer: “And do you see that coming in here as part of your job, as well as scoring goals for the first team? But has that been spoken about, about those two guys in particular who are just feeling their way into first team football? They’ve had a good experience with it, feeling their way into it, that you can help them?”

Taylor: “Absolutely. Anything that I’ve picked up along my journey, I think were 16 years, 17 years in men’s first team football. Anything that I’ve picked up, I will be trying to pass down to them. And they know that I’m here for their development as well as the team anyway. So it’s going to be about helping them in any way I can. But at the same time, I want the shirt, I want to play, I want to score goals, I want to be the main man, because that’s what any nine would want. So that’s my job. My job is to take shirt, keep shirt, but help the young lads in any which way I can. And that’s what I want to do.”

Interviewer: “The manager has said this is a reboot. We’ve been through four years of struggle, no doubt you’re aware of. Does it feel like a reboot? Does it feel like a fresh start just from coming in and looking around? From what you’ve seen, does it feel like they’re trying to get this club moving again?”

Taylor: “It feels like things are being put in place to move the club forward. Obviously I haven’t been part of the last four years, not well versed on what’s happened in the last four years, if I’m being completely honest. But what I’m seeing is a willingness from a group of players and a group of staff to push the club and put the club in a better place and push it forward. And why wouldn’t I want to be part of that? I want to be part of this club’s future success and that’s it. We’ve got to work now through the next, I don’t know, five weeks, six weeks, whatever, however long we’ve got pre-season and we need to be ready to try and take the manager’s ideas forward and this club forward so that we can have a proud set of fans and an owner who’s proud of calling this his football club and obviously a proud group of players in that dressing room who want success for themselves and for each other.”

Interviewer: “Just finally having been released by a league club and then your way through non league, do you still get the same kick out of. I know it’s hard work, same kick out of preseason and the same buzz out of building up to a new campaign and what could happen over the next ten months.”

Taylor: “To be honest, the only thing I’m thinking about… right now is working my way through preseason, working hard, making sure I’m fit enough, robust enough that I can play the whole season. Because that’s the aim. The aim isn’t to ever be on the physio table. Do I have the buzz for it? If I’m being honest, not right now. Because right now isn’t about the buzz of football. Right now is work and it’s horrible. Preseason’s disgusting and no one enjoys it. If any footballer tells you they enjoy preseason, they are a liar. So no, I’m not buzzing for the first game of the season right now. But I do want to get out there in the preseason friendlies and play football again. I don’t just want to be out on a training pitch running around like a. Like an idiot because that’s what preseason is. When we get to two weeks, three weeks. Four weeks from now and the season looms. That’s when it’s time to really pull your socks up and go to work. And that’s when it starts to kick in. Yeah, the season starts next week or the season starts in two weeks time. Right now is just sun shining. Go and run around like crazy kids and get to work in. That’s what this is to start with, especially the first week of preseason. That’s what it is.”

CLUB STATEMENT:

Lyle Taylor becomes the U’s latest new signing.

The experienced striker has penned a deal at the JCS that takes him to the end of the 2024/25 season.

He becomes Danny and Nicky Cowley’s third signing this week, as the U’s begin pre-season training at Florence Park.

It’s a reunion for the Cowleys and the thirty four year old, having worked together at Concord fifteen years ago when Nicky was Captain and Danny the Joint Manager.

In between, Taylor has played for a number of clubs, including Nottingham Forest, Birmingham and Sheffield United.

He’ll be competing himself for a spot in the Cowley’s starting line-up obviously, but is looking forward to offering his advice to the U’s up and coming young strikers.

He told cu-fc.com: They, Danny and Nicky, have said ‘we don’t want you to come in just for you, we want you to come in for what you know and what you can pass onto the younger players.”

“They said ‘ there’s especially two young centre forwards at the club who have got a really good chance and they said what you have learnt and how you’ve built yourself from non-league, we can give these boys a better chance than they’ve already got’.”

Lyle Taylor hits back at Cambridge fan after being called out for telling own fans to ‘f*** off’

This is how fans reacted Lyle Taylor keen to make an impact at Colchester after his exit from Cambridge…

@millwelville: Actually very happy with this one. I know he’s had his ups and downs but he’s experienced, scores goals and worked with the Cowleys before #colu

@derbynutter: Good luck lads. You’ll need it with his attitude

@TrentEndKevin: Was a very good ambassador for us at ##nffc scored some crucial goals, too.

@FarJhole: 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Good luck guys – one of the laziest, unmotivated, wasteful players I’ve seen at the Abbey. Almost relegated us single-handedly with both his actions and lack of action.

@SteveK157DFC: Contracts don’t really mean anything to him. When you’ll need him most, he’ll let you down.

@SamCafcTyler: Good luck lads, bloke has an awful attitude

@MaxCAFC1905: ‘Big move’… Ends up at Colchester a few years later 😂😂😂

@Tyler22222127: Am I dreaming? 😍

@rambler808: Good luck Lyle.

@nffc1233: Fall from grace

@glenister_andy: All for this signing. Yes people are saying he can have a bad attitude. But this fits the ‘making us harder to beat and not so nice to play against’ part of the plan. If he can also help Brad and Samson kick on then it’s a good thing. #colu

@tedwalker555: One minute he will wear your scarf…the next minute he’ll wipe his arse with it. Watch out is all I’m saying. 🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍

@doodlebuggy1234: Good luck, the second he gets the hump he’ll stop trying, also has an awful attitude towards fans. Wouldn’t wish him on my worst enemy

@ppriorhibbo: If he gets the service he will score plenty, probably the best signing there will be in that division.

@MKenty8: Cowleys building!!

@dermo_02: Cowley Brothers are cooking something seriously tasty 😮‍💨

@roccojd_: Big move still going strong Lyle 👏🏻🤣

@TFU1979: Great signing!!!! Good luck Lyle. That’s your penalty taker sorted 🥶

@tomgreening_: Big money move keeps on giving

Interesting.

A gamble for #ColU. Of course, every signing is a risk, but this all depends on which version of Lyle Taylor they get.

A capable CF + with the higher level experience to suggest that he’d be decent @ L2 level, but I want to see him show the ability more often. https://t.co/4LNuNPnShY

— Off The Line Blog (@OffTheLineBlog) July 3, 2024