Andrew Taylor (footballer, Born 1986)
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Andrew Derek Taylor (born 1 August 1986) is an English former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who last played for
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
. He has previously played for Cardiff City,
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
,
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
,
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
and
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
.


Club career

Born in
Hartlepool Hartlepool () is a seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Hartlepool. With an estimated population of 90,123, it is the second-largest settlement in County ...
, County Durham, Taylor began his football career at
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
's youth academy, first joining at age nine. He eventually progressed through the youth ranks as schoolboy, trainee and senior professional before signing his first professional terms upon turning seventeen. Taylor started out as a left midfielder in the successful 2004
FA Youth Cup The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under-18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part. It ...
campaign with the likes of
David Wheater David James Wheater (born 14 February 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays for club Darlington as a defender. Primarily a centre back, he is also capable of playing at right back. Wheater started his professional career at M ...
and Adam Johnson. On 12 March 2005, he signed his first professional contract with the club.


Middlesbrough

Taylor was named as a substitute in several
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
games during the 2004–05 season but did not leave the bench. However, he was plagued with ankle injury that affected most of the 2004–05 season. With only
Franck Queudrue Franck Roger Queudrue (born 27 August 1978) is a French former professional footballer who played as a left back. He began his career with Lens, for whom he played in Ligue 1, and went on to play in the Premier League for Middlesbrough, Fulha ...
able to play at left-back,
Steve McClaren Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English former professional footballer and coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for Premier League club Manchester United, in his second spell at the club. McClaren began his coaching caree ...
brought Taylor back from Bradford City the following 2005–06 season, where he had impressed on loan. Taylor made his Middlesbrough debut, starting a match and played 61 minutes before being substituted, in a 7–0 loss against
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on 14 January 2006. A month later on 23 February 2006. He made his UEFA Cup debut against
VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's football team is currently part of Germany's first division, the Bundesliga. VfB Stu ...
in the second round of the Round of 32, in a 1–0 loss, but saw the club through to the next round on away goal. Since making his debut for the club, he found himself in and out of the starting line–up for the rest of the 2005–06 season. During the 2005–06 season, Boro reached the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
semi-final and the
2006 UEFA Cup Final The 2006 UEFA Cup Final was a football match that took place at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands on 10 May 2006 as the culmination of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. The match was contested by Middlesbrough of England and Sevilla of Spain. Both s ...
. Taylor played in several
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
matches and the FA Cup semi-final to save Queudrue for the UEFA Cup tie with
Sevilla Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
. His impressive form meant he was unlucky to miss out on a starting place against Sevilla. At the end of the 2005–06 season, he made twenty appearances in all competitions. Ahead of the 2006–07 season, newly appointed Manager
Gareth Southgate Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a defender and midfielder. He has been the manager of the England national team since 2016. Southgate won the League Cup ...
revealed the club is in talks with Taylor over a new contract. However, the arrival of
Julio Arca Julio Andrés Arca (born 31 January 1981) is an Argentine former professional footballer, who played as a left-back or central midfielder. Arca spent the majority of his career in the North East of England, firstly for Sunderland from 2000 to 2 ...
for the 2006–07 season in replacement of the
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...
-bound Queudrue saw Taylor lose his place. After Arca's injury during the first game of the season against
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
, Taylor made his first appearance of the 2006–07 season, starting the whole game, in a 2–1 win against
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. Taylor started in the next seven matches before being dropped from the squad for the next two matches. But he made returned to the starting line–up against West Ham United on 11 November 2006, helping the side keep a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win. Since returning, Taylor deputised in the left back position and continued to do even Arca returned from injury, which he eventually moved to playing in the central midfielder position and eventually made it his own after impressing Manager
Gareth Southgate Gareth Southgate (born 3 September 1970) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a defender and midfielder. He has been the manager of the England national team since 2016. Southgate won the League Cup ...
, as well as, stuck a partnership with fellow Boro academy graduate
Stewart Downing Stewart Downing (born 22 July 1984) is an English former professional footballer. He played most of his career as a winger, where he operated predominantly on the left-hand side, though he could play on the right and go inside on to his stronge ...
on the left wing. His first team run ins earned him praise from
Colin Cooper Colin Terence Cooper (born 28 February 1967) is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a defender who notably played in the Premier League for Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough. He played ove ...
, saying: "He's better than me at the same age." Despite suffering from injuries later the 2006–07 season, Taylor made forty–one appearances in all competitions. At the start of the 2007–08 season, Taylor continued to establish himself in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. He then set up the club's first goal of the game for Wheater, in a 2–0 win against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
on 1 September 2007. Since the start of the 2007–08 season, Taylor started in every match for the side until he suffered a foot injury during a 0–0 draw against Bolton Wanderers on 11 November 2007 and was sidelined for four months. While on the sidelines, Taylor signed a one-year extension to his contract in January 2008, which would see him remain at the club until June 2011. On 15 March 2008, he made his return from injury against Arsenal, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute, in a 1–1 draw. Taylor then started in a follow–up match, in a 1–0 win against
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 1884 ...
. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he made twenty–one appearances in all competitions. Ahead of the 2008–09 season, Taylor switched number shirt from number thirty–three to three. At the start of the 2008–09 season, he appeared in the first six matches, making four starts for the side. During a 2–1 win against
Stoke City Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
on 30 August 2008, Taylor suffered an injury in the 19th minute and was substituted as a result. But he made a quick recovery and played in the midfield position after coming on as 70th minute for
Didier Digard Didier Frédéric Thierry Digard (born 12 July 1986) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Championnat National 3 side Nice B and who is the currently caretaker manager Ligue 1 club of Nice. As a ...
, in a 2–1 loss against
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on 13 September 2008. However, Taylor suffered an injury that saw him miss one match. But he made his return to the starting eleven, in a 5–0 loss against Chelsea on 18 October 2008. Since returning from injury, Taylor regained his first team place for the next eight matches. During a 3–1 loss against Bolton Wanderers on 22 November 2008, Taylor found himself in an altercation with a fan and apologised soon after. This lasted until he suffered a knee injury that saw him miss one match. Taylor returned to the first team from injury, coming on as a late substitute, in a 2–0 loss against Fulham on 20 December 2008. Since returning from injury, however, Taylor lost his first team place to
Emanuel Pogatetz Emanuel Pogatetz (born 16 January 1983) is an Austrian former professional footballer who is an assistant coach for SKN St. Pölten. At club level, has previously played for FC Kärnten, Bayer Leverkusen II, FC Aarau, Spartak Moscow, Middlesbro ...
and spent months on the sidelines, though he appeared in the first team on two occasions. It was not until 4 March 2009, when Taylor returned to the first team, coming on as a second-half substitute, in a 4–0 loss against
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
. Despite receiving playing time since returning from injury, he ended the season on a low note as Boro were relegated after playing out a draw at home to
Aston Villa Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club competes in the , the top tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1874, they have played at their home ground, Villa Park ...
. The 2008–09 season proved to be a frustrating one for Taylor as he played only 20 league games (28 in all competitions) due to several injuries. After starting the 2009–10 season on the bench, Taylor reclaimed his spot in the starting eleven for the next four matches. Towards the end of August, he was linked with a move to
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
as a replacement for Stephen Warnock but ended up staying at Middlesbrough. However, on 12 September 2009, Taylor sustained an ankle ligament injury in the 41st minute and was substituted, as home side won 3–1 against
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
and was out for the rest of the month and October. By early–November, he made his return from injury and started in a number of matches for the reserve side. Taylor made the bench for the 21 November 2009 game against
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
but did not leave the bench. He continued to spend the next two months on the substitute bench and the reserve side, as well as, facing his own injury concern. On 26 January 2010, Taylor made his first team appearances in months, coming on as a late substitute, in a 4–1 win against Doncaster Rovers. Despite returning to the first team, he continued to feature in and out of the starting line–up for the rest of the 2009–10 season. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Taylor made thirteen appearances in all competitions. Despite being included in Middlesbrough's squad in the pre–season ahead of the 2010–11 season, Taylor continued to remain out of the club's starting line–up. By the time he left the club, Taylor made one appearance, coming on a 78th-minute substitute, in a 1–0 win against
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
on 22 August 2010. After returning to Middlesbrough in January, he returned to the starting line–up, in a 4–0 win against Bristol City on 15 January 2011. Under new 'Boro boss,
Tony Mowbray Anthony Mark Mowbray (born 22 November 1963) is an English former professional footballer who is currently the manager of Sunderland. Mowbray played for Middlesbrough, Celtic and Ipswich Town as a defender. He began his coaching career with Ip ...
, Taylor returned to the first team as a left winger. On 19 March 2011, he scored his first Middlesbrough goal against former side Watford, 'Boro won the game 2–1. Taylor later scored two more goals for Middlesbrough against
Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
and
Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
. Despite missing one match, due to a groin injury, he made twenty appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. At the end of 2010–11 season, Taylor's contract was due to run out and was linked with a move to Cardiff City, where he could re-join former Watford boss
Malky Mackay Malcolm George Mackay (born 19 February 1972) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player, who is currently the manager of Ross County. Mackay, who played as a defender, began his playing career in Scottish football with Quee ...
. Another Championship club,
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
were also interested in signing Taylor over the summer.


Loan Spells from Middlesbrough

On 6 July 2005, Taylor was sent out on loan to
Bradford City Bradford City Association Football Club is an English professional football club in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system and are currently managed by Mark Hughes. Th ...
, making his full debut at his hometown club
Hartlepool United Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. They were founded i ...
in the opening game of the season. Since making his debut for the club, he quickly established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. Despite missing two matches, Taylor made twenty–six appearances in all and returned to his parent club on 4 January 2006. Taylor joined
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
on loan on 31 August 2010. He made his Watford debut on 10 September 2010 against
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw. Since making his Watford debut, Taylor quickly became a first team regular for the side, playing in the left–back position. He scored his first career goal—a stunning left footed volley from outside the penalty area—on 1 January 2011, in a 3–0 win against
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
at
Vicarage Road Vicarage Road is a stadium in Watford, England, and is the home stadium of championship club Watford. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 22,200. History It has been the home of Watford since 1922, when the club moved from Cassi ...
. His loan spell finished on 5 January, and on 17 January, Watford put in a bid for the left back. However, a move failed to materialise. By the time he departed from the club, he made nineteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


Cardiff City

On 1 July 2011, Taylor agreed terms with Cardiff City, signing a three-year deal with the Welsh club. Upon joining the club, he said: "Signing for Cardiff City is the right football decision for me. I am from the north east, but, looking in at Cardiff City before I signed, it was clear this is a massive club with a big fan base." Taylor was also given a number three shirt ahead of the 2011–12 season. In doing so, Taylor took a pay cut to join Cardiff City. Taylor made his debut for Cardiff City, starting the whole game, in 1–0 win over
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
on the opening day of the season. He then scored his first goal for Cardiff on 27 August, in a 1–1 draw with
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
at
Fratton Park Fratton Park is a football ground in Portsmouth, England, which is the home of Portsmouth F.C. Fratton Park remains as the only home football ground in Portsmouth FC's entire history. The early Fratton Park was designed by local architect A ...
. Since making his debut for Cardiff City, Taylor immediately became the club's first-choice left-back for the next seven matches. However, he suffered a hamstring injury that saw him miss three matches. On 15 October 2011, Taylor returned to the starting line–up against Ipswich Town, in a 2–2 draw. He then set up two goals in the next two matches against
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
and
Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
. Taylor continued to regain his first team place in the left–back position for the next eight matches before missing one match at the beginning of December. He then made his return to the first team on 10 December 2011, in a 1–1 draw against
Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
. Taylor continued to regain his first team place in the left–back position for the rest of the season. Manager Malky Mackay praised his performance, calling him a "good professional". Taylor played in all eight games in the club's
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
push, and represented City in the Wembley Final against
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Cardiff were beaten by the Premier League side after a penalty shootout, the game finishing 2–2 after extra time as Cardiff won many plaudits for their performance against an established Premier League side. However, the club's form in the league dipped following the cup final, and they ultimately finished the season in sixth position.
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
, who went on to win promotion, beat City home and away in their Play-off semi-final meetings. At the end of the 2011–12 season, he went on to make fifty–two appearances and scoring once in all competitions. At the start of the 2012–13 season, Taylor continued to regain his first team place in the left–back position. He signed a two-year contract extension on 16 November 2012, tying him to the club until 2016. Taylor started in every match since the start of the 2012–13 season until he suffered a calf injury and was substituted in the 26th minute, in a 1–0 win against Middlesbrough on 17 November 2012. After being sidelined throughout November, Taylor made his return to the starting line–up, helping Cardiff City keep a clean sheet, in a 1–0 win against
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
on 1 December 2012. He then started for the next five matches before missing one match, due to illness. Taylor returned to the starting line–up, helping Cardiff City keep a clean sheet, in a 0–0 draw against Ipswich Town on 12 January 2013. He then set up three goals in three matches between 5 March 2013 and 16 March 2013 against Derby County,
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
and Sheffield Wednesday. However, in the last game of the season against
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving from Boothferry Park in 2002. The club's t ...
, Taylor was sent–off for a second bookable offence in stoppage time, as they drew 2–2. Despite this, he made forty-three league appearances in his second season in Wales, the third-highest total of any Cardiff player, and was an integral part of the side that won the 2012–13 Championship title, achieving promotion to the Premier League. After serving the opening game of the season, Taylor made his first appearance of the 2013–14 season, starting the whole game, in a 3–2 win against
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
on 25 August 2013. Since the start of the 2013–14 season, he started in the left–back position for the next eleven matches for the side. However, Taylor suffered a calf strain that saw him miss two matches. On 14 December 2013, he returned to the starting line–up, in a 1–0 win against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
. However, Taylor suffered a calf injury for the second time that kept him out for two months. On 22 February 2014, he returned to the starting line–up, in a 4–0 loss against Hull City. Following this, Taylor lost his first team place in the left–back position to
Declan John Declan Christopher John (born 30 June 1995) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a left wing-back for Bolton Wanderers and the Wales national team. Club career Cardiff City Born in Merthyr Tydfil, John progressed through the academ ...
and
Fábio Fabio is a given name descended from Latin '' Fabius'' and very popular in Italy and Latin America (due to Italian migration). Its English equivalent is Fabian. The name is written without an accent in Italian and Spanish, but is usually accented ...
. But he made his return to the first team, starting the whole game, in a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion on 29 March 2014. At the end of the 2013–14 season, which saw the club relegated to the Championship after one season at the Premier League, Taylor made nineteen appearances in all competitions.


Wigan Athletic

On 3 June 2014, Taylor signed for
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
on a three-year deal. Taylor made his Wigan Athletic debut in the opening game of the season, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
. Since making his debut, he quickly established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. Taylor played an important role against
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
on 23 August 2014 when he set up the only goal for
Oriol Riera Oriol Riera Magem (Catalan pronunciation: ˈɾjɔl ˈrjeɾə born 3 July 1986) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker, currently manager of CD Tudelano. After starting out at Barcelona, he went on to amass La Liga totals of ...
in a 1–0 victory at the
DW Stadium The DW Stadium is a stadium in Robin Park, in Wigan, within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The ground is owned and managed by Wigan Football Company Limited, which is 85% owned by Wigan Athletic and 15% owned ...
. This was followed up by scoring his first goal for the club, in a 4–0 win against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
on 30 August 2014. On 22 November 2014, he made his return to the starting line–up, in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough. Taylor regained his first team place in the left–back for the next three months before losing his first team place to
Gaëtan Bong Thomas Gaëtan Bong (born 25 April 1988) is a Cameroonian former professional association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, left back. He has made 16 appearances for the Cameroon national football te ...
for the rest of the season. However, Wigan's relegation from the
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
was confirmed on 28 April 2015. At the end of the 2014–15 season, Taylor made twenty–seven appearances and scoring once in all competitions.


Reading (loan)

On 5 August 2015, Taylor signed on loan to
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
for a season-long loan deal. Upon joining the club, he was given a number three shirt. Taylor made his Reading debut, starting the whole game and playing 120 minutes, in a 1–0 win against
Colchester United Colchester United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Colchester, Essex, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1937, the club spent its earl ...
in the first leg of the League Cup. A week later on 19 August 2015, he made his league debut for the club, starting the match and playing 76 minutes before being substituted, in a 1–1 draw against Sheffield Wednesday. However, Taylor found himself out of the starting line–up, as he found himself on the substitute bench, as well as, his own injury concern. After a month away from the first team, Taylor made his first appearance for the side, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 win against
Rotherham United Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
. From that moment on, he spent the rest of the season, competing with
Jordan Obita Jordan John Obita (born 8 December 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays for Wycombe Wanderers. Club career Reading Early career and loans Born in Oxford, Obita had trials with his hometown club, but chose instead to sign fo ...
over the left–back position. Along the way, Taylor also faced being on the sidelines, due to injuries. After spending away from the first team for a month, he started in a match against
Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. Th ...
on 8 March 2016, setting up the club's only goal of the game, in a 3–1. At the end of the 2015–16 season, Taylor made twenty–three appearances in all competitions and returned to his parent club shortly after.


Bolton Wanderers

On 10 August 2016, Taylor signed on loan for
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
. He made his Bolton Wanderers debut three days later away at
AFC Wimbledon AFC Wimbledon is an English professional Association football, football club, based in London Borough of Merton, Merton, London, that plays in the EFL League Two, after being relegated from the EFL League One following the 2021–22 EFL Leagu ...
as an 85th-minute substitute, replacing
Liam Trotter Liam Antony Trotter (born 24 August 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chelmsford City. He has previously played for Ipswich Town, Grimsby Town, Scunthorpe United, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers, Nottingham F ...
. In the first two months to the season, Taylor found himself in a competition with
Dean Moxey Dean William Moxey (born 14 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays for National League club Torquay United as a full-back. Moxey is a versatile player, naturally a left-back but also comfortable as a centre-back, left w ...
, which saw him placed on the substitute bench. But in early–October, he won his place in the first team and established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the left–back position. He then helped the club keep four consecutive clean sheets between 8 October 2016 and 24 October 2016. A month later, Taylor helped Bolton Wanderers keep another four consecutive clean sheets between 19 November 2016 and 12 December 2016. This lasted until he suffered a groin injury while warming up prior to a match against
Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (), usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The ...
on 4 February 2017. After missing one match, Taylor made his return to the starting line–up in the left–midfield position against
Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...
on 11 February 2017 and helped the club win 4–1. His return was short–lived when he suffered a hamstring injury during a match against
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
and was substituted at half time on 14 February 2017. After being sidelined for a week, Taylor made his return to the starting line–up, playing in the left–back position, in a 1–1 draw against
Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers Football Club are a professional football club in Bristol, England. They compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play home matches at the Memorial Stadium in Horfield, they have been c ...
on 28 February 2017. Following this, he began to play in the left–midfield position for the next six matches. However, Taylor suffered a calf injury during a 2–0 win against
Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
on 25 March 2017 and the injury saw him miss four matches. But he made his return to the starting line–up against
Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
on 18 April 2017, playing in the left–midfield position, in a 0–0 draw. In the last game of the season against
Peterborough United Peterborough United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Peterborough have a long-standing ...
, Taylor helped Bolton Wanderers end the season on a high note with a 3–0 win which was enough to seal promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt as runners up. At the end of the 2016–17 season, he went on to make forty appearances in all competitions. Following this, Taylor returned to his parent club. On 25 May 2017, Taylor signed for Bolton Wanderers on a permanent basis, signing a two-year deal after being released by Wigan Athletic. Taylor's first game after signing for the club on a permanent basis came in the opening game of the season, in a 3–2 loss against
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
. He started in the next four matches, playing once in the left–back position and three times in the left–midfield position. However, Taylor suffered a calf injury that kept him out for weeks. He then made his return from injury, starting a match in the centre–back position against West Ham United on 19 September 2017 in the third round of the League Cup, losing 3–0. However, Taylor suffered a back injury during a 1–1 draw against Fulham on 28 October 2017 and was sidelined for a month as a result. It wasn't until on 23 December 2017 when he returned to the starting line–up, in a 2–0 win against Cardiff City. However, his return was short–lived when Taylor suffered an injury during a 2–0 loss against his former club, Middlesbrough on 26 December 2017. Upon returning to the first team from injury, he lost his first team place to
Antonee Robinson Antonee Robinson (born August 8, 1997), nicknamed Jedi, is a professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Fulham and the United States national team. Youth soccer Born in Milton Keynes, England, Robinson came ...
and was placed on the substitute bench. Taylor had to wait for two months to make his first team return, playing in the left–midfield position, in a 2–0 win against Sunderland on 20 February 2018. Following this, he and Robinson competed in the left–back position for the rest of the 2017–18 season. At times, Taylor appeared in the starting line–up, where he captained the side on two occasions, which were against Leeds United and Birmingham City on 30 March 2018 and 3 April 2018 respectively. At the end of the 2017–18 season, Taylor made twenty–one appearances in all competitions. He was also named the season's PFA Community Champion. At the start of the 2018–19 season, Taylor started in the next four league matches in the left–back position and made a good start to the season, winning three out of the four league matches. However, during a 2–2 draw against Preston North End on 1 September 2018, he suffered a calf injury and was sidelined for a month. After recovering from injury, Taylor returned to the starting line–up and played 75 minutes before being substituted, in a 3–0 loss against Nottingham Forest on 24 October 2018. Since returning to the first team, he regained his place in the left–back position despite competing with
Jonathan Grounds Jonathan Martin Grounds (born 2 February 1988) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back or centre back for club Exeter City. Grounds began his career with his local club, Middlesbrough, but never became a regular memb ...
for the rest of the year. During a 2–1 win against Rotherham United on 26 December 2018, Taylor suffered a calf injury after playing 67 minutes and had to be substituted and was sidelined for three weeks. He then returned to the starting line–up against West Bromwich Albion on 21 January 2019 and captained the side for the first time this season after his teammate Wheater was placed on the substitute bench. However, Taylor suffered a calf injury that saw him out for a month. On 9 March 2019, he returned to the starting line–up and appeared as captain for the second time this season, in a 2–1 win against Millwall. Taylor went on to captain the side on two more occasions. However, Bolton Wanderers was relegated to League One in a severe financial difficulty. He spoke out the situation on the club's financial problems on two separate occasions. However, Lion of Vienna Suite criticised Taylor, saying: "Really poor throughout the season and as PFA rep can be held largely responsible for the end of season strike which forever tarred this squad as being some of the most weak-willed footballers we have ever had the misfortune to see pull on the white shirt." At the end of the 2018–19 season, Taylor made twenty–seven appearances in all competitions. Following his release by the club, Taylor, again, spoke out in an interview about the club's financial problems, saying he hadn't been paid since February. He was linked with a move to his hometown club, Hartlepool United and was keen on the move Instead, Taylor announced his retirement from professional football on 7 September 2019.


Post Playing career

Following his retirement from professional football, Taylor joined
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
as a first team coach, under the management of
Phil Parkinson Philip John Parkinson (born 1 December 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently manager of National League side Wrexham. Parkinson is the only manager to take an English fo ...
. He took temporary charge of Sunderland after Parkinson's sacking on 29 November 2020, ahead of a league game against
Burton Albion Burton Albion Football Club is a professional association football club in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club moved its home groun ...
. After the appointment of Lee Johnson, Taylor continued to remain in the club's backroom staff under the new management. However, he left Sunderland to join
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
as the new loan manager.


International career

Having previously played for the Under-16 level, Taylor has been in the youth setup since the Under-17 level, and played at the 2003 UEFA U17 Championships with U21 teammates
Mark Noble Mark James Noble (born 8 May 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder and is well remembered for his time at English club West Ham United, spending eighteen years with the club. Apart from two sh ...
, Steven Taylor and
James Milner James Philip Milner (born 4 January 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Liverpool. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back. ...
. With
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
qualified for the
FIFA World Youth Championship The FIFA U-20 World Cup is the biennial football world championship tournament for FIFA members’ men's national teams with players under the age of 20. The competition has been staged every two years since the inaugural tournament in 1977 wh ...
in the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
that year, Taylor was again selected in the squad and played one out of the three group games as England were eliminated in last place. In October 2004, Taylor was called up to the England U19 for the first time and made his debut in 1–1 draw against Czech Republic U19. He was a part of England's Under-19 at the 2005 European Championships, in which they finished runners-up to
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. In February 2006, Taylor was called up to the
England U21 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team. This team is for England players aged under 21 at the start of the calen ...
squad for the first time and made his debut for the U21 side, coming on a 65th-minute substitute, in a 2–1 win against Norway U21. He made his first start for the U21 side a year later on 6 February 2007, in a 2–2 draw against Spain U21. Between 7 September 2007 and 16 October 2007, Taylor started and helped the U21 side keep four clean sheets. Two years later in the summer of 2009, he was called up for the 2009 UEFA U21 Championship in Sweden and finished runners-up to Germany.


Personal life

Taylor said that football was his lifetime ambition growing up and said in the same interview that his childhood hero was
Paul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is described by the National Football Museum as "widely recognised as the most naturally talente ...
and
Paul Ince Paul Emerson Carlyle Ince (; born 21 October 1967) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the current manager of EFL Championship side Reading. A former midfielder, Ince played professionally from 1982 to 2007, star ...
. While progressing through the Middlesbrough's academy, he spent three years at college, studying BTEC National Diploma in Sports Science and passed the course. His father, Kevin, worked for the under-15 coach at Middlesbrough. Taylor is married to his wife, Jay, and together, they have two children Mason and Preston. On 20 May 2010, Taylor was arrested by police for being drunk and disorderly at a popular nightspot outside Loons bar in the town's Lucan Street and fined £80. After announcing his retirement from professional football, Taylor returned to living in native North-east. He previously studied his masters in sport directorship at the University of Salford and stayed there for a year, with his next plan once his football career is over.


Business interests

In August 2009 it was announced that the footballer would be involved in a new
business venture Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...
called
Platinum Players
'. The website based service is aimed to connect footballers and other celebrities with companies and trades people whose reputability and trustworthiness has been validated. The site is available by invitation-only, and went live on 1 September 2009.


Career statistics


Honours

Cardiff City *
Football League Championship The English Football League Championship (often referred to as the Championship for short or the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes) is the highest division of the English Football League (EFL) and second-highest overall in the En ...
: 2012–13 Bolton Wanderers *
EFL League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
runner-up: 2016–17


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Andrew 1986 births Living people Footballers from Hartlepool English footballers England youth international footballers England under-21 international footballers Association football defenders Association football midfielders Middlesbrough F.C. players Bradford City A.F.C. players Watford F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Wigan Athletic F.C. players Reading F.C. players Bolton Wanderers F.C. players Premier League players English Football League players Sunderland A.F.C. non-playing staff Leeds United F.C. non-playing staff