 Taylor playing forWest Ham United in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Simon Taylor[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1981-11-27)27 November 1981 (age 43)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Oxford, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender,midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1999 | Luton Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2002 | Luton Town | 129 | (16) |
| 2002–2008 | Portsmouth | 178 | (23) |
| 2008–2011 | Bolton Wanderers | 123 | (23) |
| 2011–2014 | West Ham United | 76 | (2) |
| 2014–2016 | Burnley | 37 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | Northampton Town | 44 | (7) |
| 2017–2019 | Swindon Town | 71 | (9) |
| Total | 658 | (84) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002–2003 | England U21 | 3 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018 | Swindon Town (caretaker) | ||
| 2021–2022 | Walsall | ||
| 2023–2024 | Shrewsbury Town | ||
| 2024–2025 | Wealdstone | ||
| 2025 | Solihull Moors | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Matthew Simon Taylor (born 27 November 1981) is an English former professionalfootballer who played in thePremier League forPortsmouth,Bolton Wanderers,West Ham United andBurnley and in theFootball League forLuton Town,Northampton Town andSwindon Town. Taylor played as afull-back,wing-back andmidfielder. He scored 84 goals in 658 league games in a 20-year career in English football.
Taylor began his coaching career while still a player atSwindon Town and, upon retiring from playing in 2019, he moved toTottenham Hotspur to coach their U18s. He landed his firstFootball League management job in May 2021, taking over as head coach ofWalsall. He was dismissed in February 2022 and hired atShrewsbury Town in League One in June 2023. He was sacked in January 2024 and was later appointed manager ofWealdstone in May 2024.
Taylor was born inOxford, Oxfordshire.[2] He began his career atSecond DivisionLuton Town, making his debut as a 17-year-old at the beginning of the1999–2000 season.[4] He soon made the left wing-back slot his own and won the LutonYoung Player of the Season award in his first ever season as a professional,[5] before he won thePlayer of the Season award in2000–01.[6] However, despite having an excellent season, he couldn't prevent Luton being relegated to theThird Division. The2001–02 season saw Luton win promotion asThird Division runners-up, with Taylor scoring 11 league goals and being named in thePFA Third Division Team of the Year.
His displays led to interest fromPremier League clubs, but he instead decided, in July 2002, to sign forFirst Division teamPortsmouth for £750,000.[7] The fee was set averting the need for a tribunal, causing Luton managerJoe Kinnear to lament: "at leastDick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask".[8]
Usually playing as a left wing-back in a 3–5–2 formation, his speedy breaks down the left flank in support of the attack were a feature of Portsmouth's play as they won the First Division title in May 2003. As well as being a regular in the team during the season, he also scored seven goals in the League.
An injury picked up in the later stages of the previous season meant that Taylor was unavailable for the start of Portsmouth's first Premiership season. After returning to fitness, Taylor struggled to win his place in the side back due to the side's good early season form andHarry Redknapp's switch to the 4–4–2 formation. Taylor eventually won a place in the Pompey team at left back, where he was a regular in the second half of the 2003–04 season and appeared to be regaining form. Despite failing to score a league goal in his Premiership debut season, Taylor did hit the equaliser in anFA Cup tie atAnfield on 15 February 2004, when he ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with the supporters after a forceful right-footed finish at the Kop End.[9]
Taylor's first Premiership goal came against Middlesbrough on 1 February 2005.[10] The summer signing ofDavid Unsworth fromEverton meant Taylor only became a regular in the side in the second half of the season.
New managerAlain Perrin utilised Taylor as a leftmidfielder during the 2005–06 season. On 29 October 2005, he scored from 40 yards atSunderland'sStadium of Light, winning theBBC Goal of the Month.[11] Spotting thegoalkeeperKelvin Davis off his line, Taylor hit a dipping left-footed half-volley over Davis' head and into the back of the net. Portsmouth had been trailing Sunderland 1–0 in the crucial "six-pointer" but Taylor inspired a second half comeback with two goals and twoassists in a 4–1 victory.[12] When Harry Redknapp returned, Taylor initially retained his attacking role but the arrival ofAndrés D'Alessandro on loan and Redknapp's disapproval of Perrin's left-back,Grégory Vignal, meant that Taylor returned to full-back for the latter stages of the season. In all he played 34 league games, scoring six goals. Two of these were crucial penalties in 2–1 victories; one in the last minute against Sunderland, and another in an away game atWigan Athletic on 29 April 2006 to secure survival fromrelegation.[13]
His good form for Portsmouth attracted interest fromTottenham Hotspur andFulham, but he signed a long-term contract with Portsmouth in July 2006.[14] In the 2006–07 season, Taylor was a regular in the Portsmouth side on the left of midfield. Despite the team's good form, it took until early December for him to score his first league goal, in a game againstAston Villa.[15][16] He then added a second from the penalty spot in the same match before going on to score spectacular volleys in the next two games against Everton andArsenal.[17][18]
His first-half goal againstManchester United at Fratton Park in April 2007 sent Portsmouth on their way to a 2–1 victory over the Premier League champions. His final goal for Portsmouth was a penalty kick in August 2007, in a 3–1 win over Bolton Wanderers, the club he moved to five months later.[citation needed]
After losing his place in the Portsmouth team toNiko Kranjčar in the first half of the 2007–08 season, Taylor moved toBolton Wanderers on 17 January 2008 for an undisclosed fee, after rejecting an offer from Sunderland.[19] On 29 March 2008, Taylor scored his first goals for Bolton with a brace in the 3–2 home defeat to Arsenal.[20] On 11 May 2008, Taylor scored his first away goal for Bolton with a last minute equaliser, gaining Bolton a 1–1 draw againstChelsea on the last day of the2007–08 Premier League season.[20] In July 2008, having previously worn number 32, Taylor was given the number 7 shirt previously worn byStelios Giannakopoulos. Taylor scored the 50th goal of his career in a 3–1 win atWest Ham United on 5 October 2008[21] and reached double figures in the league for the first time when scoring against Chelsea on 11 April 2009.[22] In July 2009, he signed a new long-term contract at Bolton Wanderers. In the 2009–10 season, after theBlackburn Rovers game blood tests showed that Taylor had developed glandular fever.[23]
On 23 July 2011, Taylor signed for West Ham United for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract.[24] He made his competitive debut on 7 August 2011 in 1–0 home defeat toCardiff City[25] and scored his first goal in West Ham's 4–3 win over his former club, Portsmouth, on 10 September.[26]
On 4 July 2014, newly promoted Premier League clubBurnley confirmed that they had signed Taylor from West Ham United on a two-year deal, on afree transfer.[27] Taylor played in Burnley's first three games of the2014–15 season but sustained anAchilles' heel injury for which he underwent surgery in October 2014.[28] Taylor returned to the first team on 11 April 2015, coming on as a latesubstitute in a 1–0 home defeat to Arsenal.[29] In his third game back, he missed a penalty kick which would have put Burnley 1–0 up in an important game againstLeicester City to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Leicester won the game 1–0 scoring 59 seconds after Taylor had missed his penalty.[30]
Taylor was released by Burnley at the end of2015–16 season after making 37 appearances, scoring four goals.[31]
On 1 August 2016, Taylor signed for newly promotedLeague One clubNorthampton Town on a one-year contract.[32] He debuted on the opening day of2016–17 in a 1–1 draw at home toFleetwood Town.[33] His first goal for Northampton came from a 20-yardfree kick in a 3–2 victory at home toMilton Keynes Dons on 4 September, and this was followed up with a goal in the following match, a 2–0 win at home toWalsall.[33][34] Taylor finished the season with 48 appearances and eight goals,[33] and signed a one-year contract extension after a clause in his contract was triggered.[35]
On 22 August 2017, Taylor signed forLeague Two clubSwindon Town on a one-year contract.[36] Four days later, Taylor made his debut during Swindon's 3–0 home defeat againstCrawley Town, replacingAmine Linganzi in the 53rd minute.[37] On 22 September 2017, Taylor scored his first goal for Swindon in their 2–0 away victory over newly promotedForest Green Rovers, doubling the visitors lead in the 91st minute.[38]
On 6 June 2018, Taylor signed a new one-year deal with Swindon, agreeing to continue his player/coach role.[39] In March 2019, Taylor announced his intention to retire from football at the end of the 2018–19 season.[40]
Taylor completed his coaching badges during his playing career and spent time working alongside Luton Town's under-15 and under-16 teams while at West Ham United.[41]
Taylor was named interim manager at Swindon Town whenDavid Flitcroft left for promotion rivalsMansfield Town on 1 March 2018.[42] His sole game in charge on 9 March was a 3–0 home loss toCheltenham Town.[43] He transitioned into aplayer-coach role following the appointment ofPhil Brown as manager.[44]
Taylor was appointed head coach ofTottenham Hotspur Under-18s upon his retirement from football in 2019.[45]
On 19 May 2021, Taylor was appointed at League Two clubWalsall, succeedingBrian Dutton at the turn of the month.[46] After losing 1–0 on his debut atTranmere Rovers on 7 August, he gained his first win by the same score at home toStevenage on the fifth matchday, three weeks later.[47] The Saddlers went unbeaten in October, winning and drawing an equal share of their six games; this earned Taylor a nomination forEFL League Two Manager of the Month, alongside theExeter Citymanager of the same name.[48]
Taylor was relieved of his duties at the club on 9 February 2022. The club had been approaching a play-off place before the turn of the year, but seven consecutive defeats left them four points above the relegation zone.[49]
On 26 June 2023, Taylor was appointed head coach of League One clubShrewsbury Town on a contract of undisclosed length. He was their first appointee to bear the title head coach instead of manager, due to the creation of adirector of football role for Micky Moore.[50] Taylor, alongside assistant head coachMarcus Bignot, was relieved of his duties on 21 January 2024 after a poor run of seven defeats in eight games.[51]
On 10 May 2024, Taylor was appointed as First Team Manager ofNational League clubWealdstone.[52]
On 23 January 2025, Taylor was appointed head coach of fellow National League sideSolihull Moors.[53] He left the club on 3 September 2025.[54] During his time as manager, he oversaw just four wins in his 26 games in charge and had a winless start to the 2025–26 season.[55]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Luton Town | 1999–2000[4] | Second Division | 41 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 5 |
| 2000–01[56] | Second Division | 45 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 54 | 1 | |
| 2001–02[57] | Third Division | 43 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 11 | |
| Total | 129 | 16 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 17 | ||
| Portsmouth | 2002–03[58] | First Division | 35 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 38 | 7 | |
| 2003–04[59] | Premier League | 30 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | 38 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05[60] | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2005–06[61] | Premier League | 34 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 37 | 7 | ||
| 2006–07[16] | Premier League | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 39 | 9 | ||
| 2007–08[20] | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| Total | 178 | 23 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 3 | — | 203 | 29 | |||
| Bolton Wanderers | 2007–08[20] | Premier League | 16 | 3 | — | — | 3[b] | 0 | 19 | 3 | ||
| 2008–09[62] | Premier League | 34 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10[63] | Premier League | 37 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 43 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11[64] | Premier League | 36 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 2 | ||
| Total | 123 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 139 | 23 | ||
| West Ham United | 2011–12[65] | Championship | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 32 | 1 |
| 2012–13[66] | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14[67] | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| Total | 76 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 90 | 3 | ||
| Burnley | 2014–15[68] | Premier League | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[69] | Championship | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 28 | 4 | ||
| Total | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 4 | |||
| Northampton Town | 2016–17[33] | League One | 43 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 8 |
| 2017–18[70] | League One | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 44 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 8 | ||
| Swindon Town | 2017–18[70] | League Two | 38 | 6 | 2 | 1 | — | 1[d] | 0 | 41 | 7 | |
| 2018–19[71] | League Two | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| Total | 71 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 10 | ||
| Career total | 658 | 84 | 36 | 6 | 40 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 742 | 94 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Swindon Town (interim) | 1 March 2018 | 12 March 2018 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 | [42][44][72] |
| Walsall | 1 June 2021 | 9 February 2022 | 36 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 025.00 | [citation needed] |
| Shrewsbury Town | 26 June 2023 | 21 January 2024 | 35 | 12 | 4 | 19 | 034.29 | [citation needed] |
| Wealdstone | 10 May 2024 | 23 January 2025 | 33 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 027.27 | [citation needed] |
| Solihull Moors | 23 January 2025 | 2 September 2025 | 27 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 014.81 | [citation needed] |
| Total | 132 | 34 | 32 | 66 | 025.8 | |||
Portsmouth
West Ham United
Burnley
Individual
