Neil Taylor (footballer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Neil Taylor

Taylor with Wales in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Neil John Taylor
Date of birth	(1989-02-07) 7 February 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	St Asaph, Wales
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.76 m)
Position(s)	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Wales U21 (assistant)
Youth career
1998–2005	Manchester City
2005–2007	Wrexham
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2010	Wrexham	75	(3)
2010–2017	Swansea City	160	(0)
2017–2021	Aston Villa	89	(0)
2021–2022	Middlesbrough	14	(0)
Total		338	(3)
International career
2005–2006	Wales U17	10	(0)
2006–2007	Wales U19	5	(0)
2007–2010	Wales U21	13	(0)
2009	Wales Semi-Pro	1	(0)
2010–2019	Wales	43	(1)
2012	Great Britain Olympic	5	(0)
Managerial career
2023–2024	Gulf United
2023–	Wales U21 (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Neil John Taylor (born on February 7, 1989) is a Welsh football manager and former player. He played as a left-back or left wing-back. Currently, he is the assistant manager for the Wales national under-21 team.

Neil Taylor started his football journey at Manchester City as a young player. He then moved to Wrexham in 2007. In 2010, he joined Swansea City and played 179 games for them. Later, in 2017, he moved to Aston Villa and played 103 matches. Before ending his playing career, he played for Middlesbrough in the 2021-2022 season.

Taylor also played for his country, Wales, making his debut in 2010. He played 43 games for Wales until 2019. He was part of the Welsh team that reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament. He also represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics in London. Neil Taylor's mother is from Kolkata, India, which makes him one of the few British Asian professional footballers.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Wrexham

Neil Taylor began his football career at Manchester City but left when he was 15. He then joined Wrexham at 16 and became a professional player in July 2007. His first professional game was on August 28, 2007, in a League Cup match. He made his league debut on September 22, 2007. In his first season (2007–08), he played 27 league and cup games. Wrexham was relegated from The Football League that season.

On October 7, 2008, Taylor scored his first goal for Wrexham in a 3–1 win against York City. He was even the team captain in that game. He scored again in December and his final goal for Wrexham came in his last game on April 10, 2010.

Time at Swansea City

Taylor playing for Swansea City in 2011

After the 2009–10 season, Taylor moved to Football League Championship team Swansea City. He joined them on a free transfer, but Swansea later paid Wrexham £150,000. He played his first game for Swansea on August 21, 2010. He played 15 league games before he sprained his ankle in January 2011. He returned to play in February 2011.

In May 2011, during a play-off semi-final game, Taylor was sent off very early in the match. Despite this, his good performances led to Newcastle United offering £1 million for him. However, Taylor decided to stay with Swansea and signed a new contract. He helped Swansea finish 11th in their first Premier League season.

On September 1, 2012, Taylor broke his ankle during a game against Sunderland. This injury kept him out of action until the end of the season. In December 2012, he signed a new contract with Swansea until 2016. He returned to full training in February 2013. Swansea City won the League Cup Final that year, even though Taylor was injured. He made his first appearance after his injury in April 2013.

After another player, Ben Davies, moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2014, Taylor became Swansea's main left-back again. He signed another four-year contract in June 2015, keeping him at the club until 2019.

Moving to Aston Villa

On January 31, 2017, Neil Taylor joined Championship team Aston Villa. This move was part of a player exchange deal involving Jordan Ayew. Taylor played his first game for Aston Villa eleven days later, wearing a special mask to protect his fractured cheekbone.

On September 30, 2017, Taylor was sent off in a game against Bolton Wanderers. He was not in the team that lost the 2018 EFL Championship play-off final. However, he played when Aston Villa won the play-off final the next year, helping them get promoted to the Premier League.

In the 2019–20 season, injuries limited Taylor to playing only 14 Premier League games. Aston Villa managed to stay in the league on the very last day. In the 2020-21 season, he played less often. Aston Villa announced in May 2021 that Taylor would leave the club when his contract ended.

Final Season at Middlesbrough

On November 18, 2021, Taylor joined Championship team Middlesbrough on a short contract. He played his first game a month later. His contract was extended until the end of the 2021-22 season. Middlesbrough released him at the end of that season.

On November 7, 2022, Neil Taylor announced that he was retiring from professional football at 33 years old.

International Career

Playing for Wales

Taylor with Wales in 2011

Neil Taylor could also have played for India because of his mother's background. He made his first appearance for Wales on May 23, 2010, in a friendly game against Croatia. In May 2011, he played in two matches at the Nations Cup.

On September 9, 2014, in Wales' first game of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualification, Taylor gave away a penalty early in the match. However, Wales still won the game 2–1. At the Euro 2016 tournament in France, he played every minute as Wales made it to the semi-finals for the first time. He scored his first international goal in a 3–0 group stage win against Russia. This was his first goal in a senior game since playing for Wrexham in 2010.

On March 24, 2017, Taylor was sent off during a World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland. He accidentally caused a serious leg injury to Seamus Coleman. Coleman was out of action for a year. Taylor received a two-match international ban from FIFA.

He retired from playing for the national team in November 2019 for personal reasons.

Representing Great Britain

Neil Taylor was chosen by manager Stuart Pearce to be in the 18-player squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was one of three Swansea City players in the team. He played his first game for Great Britain in a friendly match against Brazil on July 20. He then played in all of Great Britain's group stage games, helping them reach the knockout rounds.

Coaching Career

In March 2023, Neil Taylor became the assistant manager for the Wales under-21 team, working with manager Matt Jones.

On September 1, 2023, Taylor was also appointed as the First Team Manager of UAE First Division club Gulf United FC. This club had achieved two promotions in a row. Gulf United confirmed that Neil would continue his role as assistant coach for the Wales U21 team during international breaks. On August 25, 2024, Taylor left Gulf United after one season as manager.

Personal Life

Neil Taylor was born in St Asaph, Wales, and grew up in Ruthin. His mother, Shibani Chakraborty, is from Kolkata, India, and his father, John Taylor, is Welsh. This means he has a mixed Welsh-Bengali background. When he played for Swansea, he lived in Killay, Swansea with his wife, Genna, and their two children. In 2016, they donated furniture to the British Heart Foundation. Taylor also travels to India to help promote football there. He became the president of Ruthin Town F.C. in 2016.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

International Goals Scored

As of match played June 20, 2016. Wales score listed first, score column indicates score after each Taylor goal.

International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	20 June 2016	Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France	31	Russia	2–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2016

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Achievements

Aston Villa

• EFL Championship play-offs: 2019 (Winner)
• EFL Cup runner-up: 2019–20

See also

In Spanish: Neil Taylor para niños