GREG’S A REAL ASK KICKER
Clark: Taylor was a total pest with all his questions but he never gives up, I’m so proud of him now
GREG TAYLOR never gave his gaffer any peace at Kilmarnock and Lee Clark is convinced his old charge will be pestering Ange Postecoglou at Celtic too.
But that’s why he’s got no doubt the Hoops ace will rise to the challenge of retaining his place as first-choice left-back at Parkhead.
Taylor has hooked up with the Scotland squad ahead of the World Cup showdown with Ukraine next week on the back of a stunning season with Celts.
The left-back role was deemed a top priority for Postecoglou when he came in with loanee Diego Laxalt departing and Boli Bolingoli sent to sporting Siberia.
But Taylor grabbed his chance to save his gaffer a few bob and his value to the team was noticed even more when he spent a couple of months out with a busted shoulder.
The former Killie star came back with a bang and was a key man for the Hoops as they marched to a Premiership and League Cup double.
Geordie Clark – who is currently boss of Al-Merrikh in Sudan – gave Taylor his chance at Rugby Park only for the gaffer to spend the rest of the time getting probed for tips or having to drag the player off the training ground.
Clark laughed: “Exactly – him and Jordan Jones were pests! Nah, it’s great. You get a bit of pride when you see boys like Greg doing so well.
“Not too much, because it’s down to the players the success they go on to achieve, but you see players like Greg at Celtic and it gives you a lot of pride to think you might have played a little part.
“Greg is now playing in big European games, title deciders, Scottish Cup Finals, you name it. It’s brilliant and no doubt he’ll keep at it.”
There’s yet more talk of Celtic signing another left back this summer but it will be as competition for Taylor rather than to replace him.
Clark is convinced the 24-year-old will only see any new arrivals as a chance for him to step up again.
It hasn’t come easy for Taylor at Celtic. He landed for a meaty £3million fee despite his young age but he had some hefty boots to fill after Kieran Tierney’s departure.
Hoops fans quickly warmed to the kid but doubters jumped on the first sign of a bump.
Taylor was shunted down the pecking order when Laxalt pitched up from AC Milan but by the end of the nightmare failed 10-in-a-row season he was in charge and Postecoglou made him a main man right from the off.
Clark said: “The one thing he has is that real Scottish mentality – he never gives up.
“All that type of stuff, the criticism or doubts, that just makes him get on the training pitch and work even harder to achieve even more.
“I’ve seen it. He’s one of those players you need to drag off the training ground. He always wants to improve.
“He’s constantly asking managers and coaches to stay out and do extra work. I’ve got no doubt he’s been doing that. Even when it’s going well, he doesn’t rest on laurels. When things go against him, he sees it as a challenge.
“He’s passed every test with flying colours. He was out the team injured and got back in, even with lots of competition.
“Greg’s played a major part in the positive turnaround at Celtic. I can’t speak highly enough. He’s a Scotland international and everything he gets is well deserved.”
Postecoglou might be tempted to stick a thank you note in the post to Clark who turned Taylor from a midfielder to a defender.
Clark said: “I saw this boy in the Under-20s who had a great desire and determination. He was left-footed and I asked the staff if he’d ever played left-back.
“They said he’d been playing more as a defensive midfielder. We had a dead rubber against Dundee United and I made a few changes. It was a rubbish game but he was outstanding. “He was brilliant. I’m not surprised how he’s kicked on since then.”