MOORE TO COME
Taylor Moore plans to be part of Bristol City big nights in the future
TAYLOR Moore will watch Bristol City’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City on Tuesday night with a degree of envy. In the future, he aims to be involved in their big nights. Walthamstow-born Moore moved to France as a sevenyear-old and came through the prestigious Lens academy before heading to Ashton Gate for a fee of £1.5m in August 2016. Eighteen months on, the 20-yearold finds himself turning out for the Robins under the tutelage of a Johnson.
But, rather than Bristol City and Lee, he’s at Cheltenham with father Gary.
Moore is the first to admit it has not all gone as expected. But, having extended his loan stay with the League Two side through to the end of the season, he is confident the short-term pain of not being involved in this magical cup run will be soothed by longer-term gain.
“I went to the Man United game (in the quarter-final) and I try to keep tabs and go to training when I can,” he said.
“It’s been an unbelievable cup run and I’m really happy for the boys. That’s where I want to be.
“So, I need to concentrate on what I’m doing at Cheltenham to help them and hopefully get there soon.
“I’ve found it different here, compared to what I’ve experienced before, but I’m learning a lot. It’s not your ideal and your average situation because I want to be at Bristol City, playing for them.
“But I realise I need to improve certain points of my game, and working with Gary Johnson and playing in League Two is definitely help- ing me. The good thing with Cheltenham is it’s only 45 minutes down the road.
“A few of us were on loan here. There are two of us now (Joe Morrell is the other), but I pop into Bristol once or twice a week. Lee Johnson keeps tabs on us as well.
“Originally, the loan was for six months, but because it’s gone so well – I’ve been playing every game and I’ve been learning and enjoying it – we’ve decided to extend it.”
Moore honed his trade in Lens, coming through the same academy as Real Madrid defender Raphaël Varane.
That has given him a different outlook on the game, though his desire to play from the back has been suppressed somewhat since he started playing in League Two.
Physical
“This time around at Cheltenham I’ve been working on the physical side of my game,” added Moore, who spent much of last season on loan at Bury.
“Being a young defender, sometimes you get caught up in youth, academy and Under23 football.
“You’re taught to pass the ball and bring the ball out from the back. but when you’re confronted with men’s football and experienced strikers it’s very different.
“Playing across the back four, like I have been doing at Cheltenham, whether at centre-back or right-back, I’ve come up against some different challenges.
“I’ve learned to head the ball a lot and I’ve improved the defensive side of my game. I can sense danger a lot more than I did before.”
Moore is not lacking in pedigree. He was part of the England Under-17s team that won the European title back in 2014, even scoring a penalty in the final shoot-out.
Continuing to play for his country – Moore has been capped from Under-17 through to Under-20 level – is a major ambition for Moore.
And so, of course, is making his mark for his club.