Post by Finnish Gas on Jun 17, 2014 9:03:07 GMT
Promotion has to be the aim, says new Bristol Rovers signing Matty Taylor
By The Bristol Post | Posted: June 17, 2014
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NEW-BOY Matty Taylor firmly believes joining Bristol Rovers will enable him to achieve his long-held ambition of playing in the Football League.
Eager to relaunch his career at the Memorial Stadium, the former Forest Green Rovers striker rejected offers from a number of other clubs to join the Pirates on a free transfer.
And the 23-year-old is targeting promotion from the Conference at the first time of asking after his dream of playing in League Two was dashed by Oxford United. A product of Oxford's academy, Taylor signed professional forms at the Kassam Stadium as a teenager. But he failed to make the grade, was released after a year and is now determined to prove a point in the blue and white of Rovers.
"My priority is to get back into the Football League," said the England C forward, who will officially join the Pirates when his Forest Green contract expires at the end of this month.
"I feel I've established myself in the Conference and the next step is to get into League Two.
"That is why I've signed for Bristol Rovers and promotion at the first time of asking has to be the aim, no matter how difficult that might be.
"I came through the youth ranks at Oxford and signed a professional contract. But they let me go a year later and I want to prove myself.
"Oxford and Luton Town have managed to get back into the League and Bristol Rovers are just as big a club. I'm confident this is the right club to take me to the next level."
Taylor is manager Darrell Clarke's second signing of the summer – fellow striker Jamie White joined from Salisbury City earlier this month – but Rovers' manager had to see off competition from several rivals before landing his latest target.
Mansfield, Chester and Kidderminster were reportedly interested in Taylor, who intends relocating from his Oxford home to Bristol before the start of next season.
Clarke said: "Matty is a striker who plays off the shoulder and has a proven goalscoring record in non-League football.
"I went to watch him last season and he is an intelligent footballer. I have been chasing him for a few weeks.
"There have been a lot of clubs after him, but he chose us for the right reasons and he ticked the right boxes for me."
Taylor is looking to relaunch his Conference career after struggling to make an impact at Forest Green last season.
He scored three goals in 13 games before being sent out on loan to Chester. Although he netted six times in seven outings for Chester, he failed to score in 12 appearances after returning to Rovers for the final two months of the season. But Taylor was a prolific goalscorer during his formative years with North Leigh, grabbing more than 80 goals in two seasons in the Southern League.
That form alerted Forest Green and the forward signed a three-year deal with the Gloucestershire club in 2011.
He scored nine goals in his first season and followed up with ten in the 2011-12 campaign.
A member of the England C squad, he recently registered three goals in two games for his country against Hungary and Sparta Prague B.
Rovers chairman Nick Higgs said: "We are delighted to welcome Matt to Bristol Rovers.
"Darrell has started to rebuild his squad for next season and Matt is another important addition to the side."
Taylor will compete with fellow new-boy White and experienced lower-league forward Matt Harrold for a place in Rovers' starting line-up next season.
Read more at www.bristolpost.co.uk/Promotion-aim-says-new-Bristol-Rovers-signing/story-21246395-detail/story.html
Brunt not competing for a place?
By The Bristol Post | Posted: June 17, 2014
Comments (0)
NEW-BOY Matty Taylor firmly believes joining Bristol Rovers will enable him to achieve his long-held ambition of playing in the Football League.
Eager to relaunch his career at the Memorial Stadium, the former Forest Green Rovers striker rejected offers from a number of other clubs to join the Pirates on a free transfer.
And the 23-year-old is targeting promotion from the Conference at the first time of asking after his dream of playing in League Two was dashed by Oxford United. A product of Oxford's academy, Taylor signed professional forms at the Kassam Stadium as a teenager. But he failed to make the grade, was released after a year and is now determined to prove a point in the blue and white of Rovers.
"My priority is to get back into the Football League," said the England C forward, who will officially join the Pirates when his Forest Green contract expires at the end of this month.
"I feel I've established myself in the Conference and the next step is to get into League Two.
"That is why I've signed for Bristol Rovers and promotion at the first time of asking has to be the aim, no matter how difficult that might be.
"I came through the youth ranks at Oxford and signed a professional contract. But they let me go a year later and I want to prove myself.
"Oxford and Luton Town have managed to get back into the League and Bristol Rovers are just as big a club. I'm confident this is the right club to take me to the next level."
Taylor is manager Darrell Clarke's second signing of the summer – fellow striker Jamie White joined from Salisbury City earlier this month – but Rovers' manager had to see off competition from several rivals before landing his latest target.
Mansfield, Chester and Kidderminster were reportedly interested in Taylor, who intends relocating from his Oxford home to Bristol before the start of next season.
Clarke said: "Matty is a striker who plays off the shoulder and has a proven goalscoring record in non-League football.
"I went to watch him last season and he is an intelligent footballer. I have been chasing him for a few weeks.
"There have been a lot of clubs after him, but he chose us for the right reasons and he ticked the right boxes for me."
Taylor is looking to relaunch his Conference career after struggling to make an impact at Forest Green last season.
He scored three goals in 13 games before being sent out on loan to Chester. Although he netted six times in seven outings for Chester, he failed to score in 12 appearances after returning to Rovers for the final two months of the season. But Taylor was a prolific goalscorer during his formative years with North Leigh, grabbing more than 80 goals in two seasons in the Southern League.
That form alerted Forest Green and the forward signed a three-year deal with the Gloucestershire club in 2011.
He scored nine goals in his first season and followed up with ten in the 2011-12 campaign.
A member of the England C squad, he recently registered three goals in two games for his country against Hungary and Sparta Prague B.
Rovers chairman Nick Higgs said: "We are delighted to welcome Matt to Bristol Rovers.
"Darrell has started to rebuild his squad for next season and Matt is another important addition to the side."
Taylor will compete with fellow new-boy White and experienced lower-league forward Matt Harrold for a place in Rovers' starting line-up next season.
Read more at www.bristolpost.co.uk/Promotion-aim-says-new-Bristol-Rovers-signing/story-21246395-detail/story.html
Brunt not competing for a place?
