Retiring Taylor was a wonderful player who enjoyed a wonderful time at Fratton Park

Matt Taylor’s DW Stadium penalty sealed the Great Escape – and iconic 70-yard celebratory sprint cemented his place in Pompey folklore, writes Neil Allen.

That 2-1 victory over Wigan in 2006 – as Harry Redknapp’s side scrambled back from nearcertain relegation – was the leftsided player’s favourite game in 203 Blues appearances.

Taylor’s five-and-a-half-year Fratton Park stay featured the Division One title, wonderful goal-scoring moments against Sunderland and Everton and, of course, that Great Escape.

He yesterday announced his decision to retire at the season’s end, aged 37.

With 28 League Two starts for Swindon this term, there has been no winding down.

As those of Pompey persuasion present at the County Ground for last summer’s pre-season friendly will testify, Taylor has remained a class act.

On that July afternoon, chants of ‘Super Matty Taylor’ emerged from the travelling support.

It had been more than a decade since his Blues exit for Bolton, yet some players are never forgotten.

It was June 2002 when, as a 20-year-old, Taylor arrived at Fratton Park. Disgruntled Luton boss Joe Kinnear cursed the £400,000 price tag, muttering comparisons with Dick Turpin.

Soon his swashbuckling displays at left-back were a key element of a side which won promotion to the Premier League in his maiden campaign.

Once in the top flight, injury kept Taylor out of the first-team frame until Christmas – yet from that point he remained a regular under a succession of managers.

And there were those Pompey goals, 29 of them.

The stunning 45-yard shot against Sunderland in October 2005 was a favourite. Incidentally, he gatecrashed the team that day after Laurent Robert walked out at midday claiming he wasn’t fit. There was the sublime strike from the halfway line against Everton in December 2006.

The overexuberant celebration in front of Southampton supporters in response to Arjan De Zeeuw’s headed goal in the 4-1 hammering of April 2005.

And then at Wigan in April 2006, he had a spot-kick to maintain Pompey’s Premier League status.

The previous week, Taylor had supplied an 88th-minute winner from the spot against Sunderland.

He repeated the trick against the Latics before racing the length of the pitch to celebrate with the jubilant Pompey fans.

Wonderful times and a wonderful player. Matt Taylor struck 29 goals in his 203 appearances for Pompey