Andy Taylor

A captain at Blackpool, the former Blackburn, Tranmere, QPR, Crewe, Huddersfield, Sheffield United and Walsall full back has worked under Mark Hughes, Ian Holloway and with many other characters in the game. He recounts the highs and lows of an eventful career.

“Mark Hughes, my manager at Blackburn Rovers, called me into his office on a Thursday afternoon.

‘We’d like you to go on loan to QPR,’ he said. I trusted the manager and agreed. Within hours I was on a train to London. After training on Friday, I was told to be ready to play on Saturday against Southampton.

My new manager, Ian Holloway, who I’d heard about but didn’t know, delivered his team talk: ‘See this?’ he said, pointing to a freckle on his face. ‘Skin cancer. When I was a young lad I thought it would be a good idea to go on sunbeds to impress the girls. I was a Flash Harry. But it’s better to work hard than to be flash.”

He didn’t mention the game. I was baffled.

We went out and I came on, charged with marking Theo Walcott. It was his last game for Southampton and everyone knew he was going to Arsenal for big money. Walcott scored and ran along the touchline encouraging his bench to try and catch him. Nobody could.

I loved working under Holloway. I’ve not met a man with more enthusiasm for football, but it was soon time for me to go back to Blackburn, the club I’d joined aged 10.

I was a Blackburn fan from the town. At seven, eight or nine, I thought it was normal that Rovers won every week and were near the top of the Premier League. I had a season ticket in the Walker Steel stand with my family. When we won the league in 1995, I thought that was normal too. Rovers had five or six England internationals, a great stadium and training ground thanks to Jack Walker. It wasn’t until I got older that I realised what a great achievement it was for a small town club to become champions of England.

I was soon at the training ground when I was signed for Rovers aged 10. I wouldn’t leave until I was 21. Things went well. I played for England at under 18, 19 and 20 level and, by the time I was a professional at Rovers, Mark Hughes was manager and the team were still playing European football. I trained with very good footballers including Benni McCarthy, Roque Santa Cruz and Craig Bellamy. I felt comfortable, but Benni gave me a verbal volley when I took a touch before crossing to him in training. He’d timed a run so that the ball came in immediately. He was right to tell me, he was used to scoring lots of goals at the top level.

Blackburn was a family club, very well run. I’m sad that they’re struggling now, but once you played for a club you’re never quite as passionate a fan as you were before.

After playing at QPR, I was desperate to play first team football again. I was on the bench for Rovers a few times but Mark Hughes played a full strength team, even in the cups.

I thought I’d get a chance and I’d held my own in training, but I got glandular fever when I most felt I’d get my chance.

I went to Blackpool on loan under Simon Grayson. I loved it, playing and learning about life at another club. Then it was back to Ewood Park. The gaffer said Crewe wanted me on loan and that they were about to play Man United in the cup. I went there and was immediately up against Alan Smith and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. Things went well until I was knocked out after 70 minutes. Someone headed my head. The physio held me up and asked if I was ok. I said that I was as I looked at my blood on his shirt. I was heavily concussed and taken off.

Crewe went well until I was recalled back to Blackburn again. Because of a spate of injuries, I was required for a Premier League game at Charlton. I thought that would be my chance – instead I was the 18th man sitting in the stand, gutted. I wasn’t allowed back to Crewe after that as my loan was recalled.

Huddersfield was next. I struggled. My head wasn’t in the right place, I was probably uncertain after all the loan moves and being in and out of Blackburn reserves. When I went back to Ewood I didn’t think I’d be making it there. I just wanted to play regular football and I got that at Tranmere Rovers, then in League One. They signed me after another loan and that was my first permanent deal. It was the right move; I played every week and felt an important part of the team. I was fit, confident and bombing forward and crossing the ball. We just missed out on the play-offs but I had a lot of interest from Championship clubs. Coventry came in for me, Sheffield United too. They’d just missed out on promotion back to the Premier League but were determined to give it another go. I visited Bramall Lane and thought ‘this is a Premier League club in all but name.’ It was a no brainer to join them.

I turned up at the airport for the pre-season tour to Budapest and I was told to see Chris Morgan, our skipper. He always looked angry, but we shared an agent. I was told he’d say hello, but as he approached I thought he was going to take a swing at me. Morgan was a great lad, a real tough Yorkshireman who played on for 70 minutes in a game when he ruptured two of his four ligaments.

Sheffield United was the only club where I didn’t have to do an initiation song. I’ve sung ‘Amarillo’ at Blackburn, ‘You’ve lost that living feeling’ at Tranmere and ‘Aint no sunshine’ at QPR. That was tough as I couldn’t hit the high notes.

The first season went well at Bramall Lane and I played thirty odd games as we finished just outside the play-offs. In the second season, I ruptured my cruciate and lateral ligament against Hull. I didn’t realise it was bad, I just thought I’d been whacked. I’d never had a bad injury.

The physio called four days later with the bad news. I broke down and my fiancée did too. It wouldn’t get easier. One of the best surgeons in the country sat me down in his London practice, bent my leg around and said: “I’ll be frank, if we don’t operate now your career is over. The bottom half of your leg is hanging by a thread.”

I never thought I wouldn’t play again - at first, you can’t imagine walking again. Then you can’t imagine running. Then you can’t imagine twisting. It’s like being a toddler and learning to walk all over again. Morgan had suffered the same injury. He had to retire. I came back after 15 months. That was very frustrating. You basically learn to play football again. I got back in the first team and

we were flying, with Ched Evans scoring for fun. Ched got jailed and our form fell apart - we missed him as a player and a character. We were stunned when we found out he was going to prison, he’d been confident his case wasn’t even going to court. We were on the bus to MK Dons when we found out. Everyone went silent.

We only made the 2012 play offs and reached the final against Huddersfield. I was on the bench, but came on near the end. I’d done well in penalty practice all week so the manager wanted me on. I was fourth up. Huddersfield missed the first three pen, we missed two of them. Then it was my turn. I wasn’t nervous. I put my head down and hit it. I thought it was going in.

My wife was filming in front of 52,000. You hear her saying: ‘Please, please,’ and then: ‘Oh, no!’” The ball hit the post and bounced straight past me. I was in shock. Sheffield United lost on penalties, Huddersfield went up.

I out of contract and had barely played in 15 months. In my own mind I was a Championship player and didn’t respond to offers from League One clubs, but the reality was different. I went on trial to Brentford, who wanted me, but only had a budget for a left back who could play twice a week. They weren’t sure that I could play 50 games a season. I went next to Walsall, where an injury to their usual left-back saw me signed on a temporary contract. It was a lot ;ess money, I’d lost a zero from my wage at Sheffield, which the most I’d earned in my career. The Blades were also the biggest club I’d played at. They’re massive.

I did well at Walsall, was offered a six-month and then an 18-month deal. Because it was a short-term deal, I was commuting down from Blackburn, spending four hours a day on the M6 with the coach Dean Holden. He drove a £400 car with a three-year old Man United air freshener. When he put the air conditioning on, the radio went fuzzy. It was a straight choice between air conditioning or radio.

We broke down one day at Knutsford Services and waited two hours for the RAC – Dean wasn’t a member. And despite his brother-in-law being a mechanic, his attempts to fix the car amounted to tapping a spanner against the engine. We broke down again later and had to be towed by a member of Walsall’s ground staff who looked like the comedian Bob Carolgees. We arrived very late.

I was at Walsall for four years under Dean Smith, an excellent manager. It was best team spirit I’ve experienced in a very good team which played total football. We were punching well above our weight looking good for automatically promotion all last season before finishing third. I’ve still never experienced a promotion.

Twelve of the Walsall lads were out of contract. I was offered one to stay, but I chose Blackpool in the league below. I knew Blackpool’s manager Garry Bowyer well from Blackburn. I’d become a dad of two, so moving back to my base in Blackburn helped. It’s 30 minutes door to door, with no more M6.

Blackpool is a good club to be at. I know there are issues with fans boycotting games, but everything is done properly for a player. The travel is good, the sports science, the hotels. It’s better than at a club in a league above.

The style of football is different in League Two, more direct and physical – more from other teams rather than us. I don’t enjoy that, but I do enjoy a more senior role in the team. I’m vice captain and because the skipper is injured, I’ve been captain for the last six weeks – a first for me.

We’re 14th, which is frustrating. We’re playing well and dominating games, but we’re going through a patch where results are not matching performances: we should be right up there. Portsmouth are the best team we’ve played.

I’m 30 but I didn’t start playing every week until 21 and feel fine. I want to play for as long as I can but I want options when I retire. I realised that at an early age and worked hard at school, getting 7 A stars, two As and a B at GCSE. I did A Levels too while a young pro at Blackburn. I’ve passed my coaching badges and have my UEFA A licence, so I have options. I’m also studying for a sports science degree. I’ve not earned enough money to put my feet up, not by a long stretch.

I’m now in the team hotel after a six-hour coach trip to Cheltenham which should have taken three. As you might have gathered, I’m not the biggest fan of the M6!”