PLEASE DON’T HATE ME

Lyle suffers sleepless nights

LYLE TAYLOR has pleaded with Charlton fans not to hate him for turning his back on the club.

Top scorer Taylor, 30, says he has suffered sleepless nights over his controversial decision not to play for the relegation-threatened Championship club again this season. With his contract up on June 30 he does not want to put a potentially life-changing summer transfer in jeopardy by risking a serious injury. He missed several games after injuring his knee on international duty with Montserrat in September, returning in December. Taylor, who has scored 32 goals in 63 league games for Charlton and has up to eight clubs trying to sign him, said: “I hope people can look at this and not hate me.

“I’ve sat in my living room staring at a blank TV screen for hours on end these last few weeks. I’ve not eaten or slept properly. I’ve been up until 5am listening to the birds chirping thinking about it.

“I finally came to the decision together with the manager (Lee Bowyer) that he has openly spoken about.

“He said to me, ‘Lyle I can see how cut up this has made you.’ But this is a time nobody has had to deal with before – lockdown has been difficult. “I’m gutted at the way it’s finishing but I don’t expect people to care. I know that once the damage is done it’s irreparable and I don’t really expect any sympathy.

“My reasons and concerns stem from my knee injury – it plays on the mind. It makes me think what would happen if I had an injury now that threatened the rest of my career. I’ll be honest with you, it scared the life out of me.

“At the age I am, should I get seriously injured I’ll never get another opportunity like those I currently have.

“I might be remembered as a moneygrabber or a letdown but I would like to think some people will look beyond that and remember the good times.

“Hopefully the Charlton fans can look on it more fondly than with hatred or disgust. It’s their right to criticise. But I have concerns like everyone else – I am only human.”

Bowyer (inset), who admits he was “hurt” by the player’s decision, says losing the 11-goal striker could be the difference between staying up and going down.

Speaking on TALKSPORT, former Premier League star Jamie O’hara emphasised that point, saying: “He has done more damage to his reputation than good.

“I would play for Charlton for nothing. They need him as they are in dire straits. He’s letting his manager down and managers sign players.

“If I’m a manager looking at him now thinking, ‘What, he can’t play for a month or a couple of months because his contract’s up?’ “Well, come on. There’s a million people out there who would give their right arm to walk on a football pitch and

play for Charlton.”