MATT IS TAYLOR MADE TO ADVISE IANDOLO
SWINDON’S Ellis Iandolo cannot think of many better mentors than Matt Taylor.
The 21-year-old has predominantly featured as a midfielder during his time at the County Ground but is also learning his trade as a left-back, following the example of veteran Swindon player-coach Taylor, Phil Brown’s current first choice.
Taylor, 36, was interim manager for a single game before Brown’s appointment in March and youngster Iandolo is keen to assimilate some of the former Portsmouth and West Ham man’s undoubted class.
“This is my second season with Matt and the quality he has is known by everyone,” said Iandolo. “There’s so much I can learn from him just by watching him and training with him every day.
“He’s been a great help to me. If playing on the left is a position that I’m looking to nail down, then there wouldn’t be many other players that I’d want to learn from.”
Former Gillingham youth-teamer Iandolo, who has been in Wiltshire since 2015, has found firstteam appearances hard to come by so far this season, with Taylor dominating the left-back position while the likes of Michael Doughty, Steven Alzate and Toumani Diagouraga block his route to a central midfield berth.
However, the Swindon man remains hopeful his chance will come.
He said: “It’s frustrating. I want to play as many minutes as I can but the manager picks the team and I do everything I can on the training pitch, and in the minutes I’m given to impress him.
“Competition is massive in any squad, it’s healthy – you don’t want any member of the side becoming complacent.”