Star Peterborough United player still pinching himself after swapping games against Halifax Town for games against Sheffield United

Taylor is only 22, but he’s already experienced the extreme joy and total despair of professional football.

Taylor enjoyed seven years at the Chelsea Academy before he was released aged 14.

He immediately moved to Barnet and earned a professsional contract aged 18, but was then part of the Bees squad relegated out of the Football League in the 2017-18 season.

But then Posh came to the rescue. Manager Darren Ferguson didn’t get his man at first, but a £500k fee in January 2020 landed Taylor and 16 months later he had become, not only a fixture in the Posh first team, but a Championship footballer.

“I’m still pinching myself,” Taylor admitted. “Eighteen months ago I was playing for Barnet against Halifax and next season I will be playing against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

“I’m determined to make the most of it as well as I’ve worked hard to get where I am now.

“It was a great to be a part of this team last season and I’m sure it will be just the same in the Championship. We were a tight-knit group and we had so much talent it would have been a huge disappointment not to have won promotion.

“We can be proud of what we achieved. We finished above some big clubs.”

Taylor made 40 appearances in all competitions for Posh last season and scored seven goals. They are stats he wants to improve next season even though he will be performing at a higher level.

“I could have scored more goals and I picked up another injury in the game against Lincoln,” Taylor added. “I came off at 3-0 down knowing I wouldn’t have played in the last game so I was pretty dejected, but the lads turned that game right around. I didn’t watch the penalty that got us up. I remember hugging Reece Brown straight after it though.”

From despair to joy for Taylor then. Just like the rest of his career.