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but retracted his remarks later that day, admitting they had been excessive and made in the heat of the moment.<ref>{{cite web
but retracted his remarks later that day, admitting they had been excessive and made in the heat of the moment.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=488014&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Wenger+-+My+comments+on+Taylor+were+'excessive' |title=Wenger - Taylor comments were 'excessive' |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |author=Clarke, Richard |date=2008-02-23 |accessdate=2008-02-27 |quote=It was a highly emotional afternoon and we were all shocked by the injury to Eduardo. On reflection, I feel that my comments about Martin Taylor were excessive. I said what I did immediately after the game, in the heat of the moment.}}</ref>
|url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=488014&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=Wenger+-+My+comments+on+Taylor+were+'excessive' |title=Wenger - Taylor comments were 'excessive' |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |author=Clarke, Richard |date=2008-02-23 |accessdate=2008-02-27 |quote=It was a highly emotional afternoon and we were all shocked by the injury to Eduardo. On reflection, I feel that my comments about Martin Taylor were excessive. I said what I did immediately after the game, in the heat of the moment.}}</ref>
Shortly after the match, Birmingham City issued a statement asserting Taylor's lack of malicious intent and his distress at the injury, and sending their best wishes to Eduardo.<ref name=bbcinjury/>
Shortly after the match, Birmingham City issued a statement asserting Taylor's lack of malicious intent and his distress at the injury, and sending their best wishes to Eduardo.<ref name=bbcinjury/> mataylCroatia captain [[Niko Kovač]] referred to the "brutality" of the incident,<ref>{{cite news
Croatia captain [[Niko Kovač]] referred to the "brutality" of the incident,<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/02/24/ufneduardo124.xml |title=Arsenal face anxious wait on Eduardo update |work=The Daily Telegraph |author=Hodges, Vicki |date=2008-02-24 |accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref>
|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/02/24/ufneduardo124.xml |title=Arsenal face anxious wait on Eduardo update |work=The Daily Telegraph |author=Hodges, Vicki |date=2008-02-24 |accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref>
while Birmingham manager Alex McLeish and former coach [[Steve Bruce]] insisted that Taylor was not a malicious player,<ref name=bbcinjury/> and Arsenal striker [[Nicklas Bendtner]], a teammate of Taylor's while [[loan (football)|on loan]] at Birmingham during the [[2006-07 in English football|2006&ndash;07 season]], agreed that there was no intent to injure, though "it was a bad tackle and he deserved to be sent off".<ref>{{cite web
while Birmingham manager Alex McLeish and former coach [[Steve Bruce]] insisted that Taylor was not a malicious player,<ref name=bbcinjury/> and Arsenal striker [[Nicklas Bendtner]], a teammate of Taylor's while [[loan (football)|on loan]] at Birmingham during the [[2006-07 in English football|2006&ndash;07 season]], agreed that there was no intent to injure, though "it was a bad tackle and he deserved to be sent off".<ref>{{cite web Their was also a huge online petition on the internet which recieved 26858 signatures to get Martin Taylor baneed, which eventually was closed after the FA decided they would not be taking further action. [http://www.petitiononline.com]
|url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=news&article=488124&cpid=703&title=Bendtner+-+We+must+put+%27terrible%27+day+behind+us |title=Bendtner - We must put 'terrible' day behind us |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |author=Clarke, Richard |date=2008-02-26 |accessdate=2008-02-27 |quote=Bendtner is in a unique position to assess Saturday's incident having played with Eduardo for Arsenal this year and with Martin Taylor while on loan at Birmingham last season. He was adamant there was no malice in the challenge. 'He's not a player like that. He's really calm. He's not one who goes in to hurt people, never. But in football things like this happen. But, even though he is not one who does bad tackles, it was a bad tackle and he deserved to be sent off. The referee had no choice.'}}</ref>
|url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=news&article=488124&cpid=703&title=Bendtner+-+We+must+put+%27terrible%27+day+behind+us |title=Bendtner - We must put 'terrible' day behind us |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |author=Clarke, Richard |date=2008-02-26 |accessdate=2008-02-27 |quote=Bendtner is in a unique position to assess Saturday's incident having played with Eduardo for Arsenal this year and with Martin Taylor while on loan at Birmingham last season. He was adamant there was no malice in the challenge. 'He's not a player like that. He's really calm. He's not one who goes in to hurt people, never. But in football things like this happen. But, even though he is not one who does bad tackles, it was a bad tackle and he deserved to be sent off. The referee had no choice.'}}</ref>
Death threats appeared on the internet, and security staff had to stop men believed to be Croatian journalists getting into Taylor's car at Birmingham's training ground.<ref name=Bilic>{{cite news
Death threats appeared on the internet, and security staff had to stop men believed to be Croatian journalists getting into Taylor's car at Birmingham's training ground.<ref name=Bilic>{{cite news

Revision as of 21:01, 12 April 2008

For other people named Martin Taylor, see Martin Taylor (disambiguation).
Martin Taylor
Personal information
Full name Martin Taylor
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Birmingham City
Number 4
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 March 2007

Martin Taylor (born November 9, 1979 in Ashington, Northumberland) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender. He currently plays for Birmingham City. He has the nickname "Tiny", given to him by his teammates because of his 6' 4" frame.[1]

Club career

Blackburn Rovers

Taylor joined Blackburn Rovers as a schoolboy at the age of 17, signing his first full contract at the start of the 1997–98 season.

Loan spells at Darlington and Stockport served to improve his self-belief,[2] and in May 2001 he won his first and only cap for the England U-21 side, as a half-time substitute for John Terry in a 3–0 friendly win against Mexico U-21. Though part of the squad for the 2002 European Under-21 Championships, replacing the injured Ledley King, he made no further appearances for the side.

Also in 2002, he played throughout Blackburn's League Cup campaign, culminating in a 2–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Millennium Stadium.

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness felt that Taylor had enough ability to reach the top, but had for some time believed that without adopting a more aggressive physical approach he would not fulfil his potential.[1] He had initially been viewed as a potential replacement for defenders Henning Berg and Craig Short, but, as Berg left the side, instead of giving Taylor his chance to play, Souness signed Lorenzo Amoruso, and when he was injured, took Markus Babbel on loan.

Though reluctant to sell, Souness needed to generate transfer funds,[3] so in January 2004, Blackburn proceeded to accept a £1.25 million bid from Birmingham City.

Birmingham City

On February 2 2004 Taylor left Blackburn for Birmingham City, signing a contract due to end in 2007. Former Blackburn teammates David Dunn[4] and Damien Johnson[5] highlighted Taylor's footballing ability and comfort on the ball. Rob Kelly, then head of youth coaching at Blackburn, while complimentary about his reading of the game and ability with both feet, felt that working with Birmingham manager Steve Bruce, a former top-class centre-half, in new surroundings might help bring out his unfulfilled potential,[6] an assessment with which Taylor himself agreed.[7]

He made his Birmingham debut in a 3–0 victory against Everton, and in his next game, a 3–1 victory against Middlesbrough, he scored his first league goal for the club. Unable to dislodge the established central defensive partnership of Matthew Upson and Kenny Cunningham, he played regularly for the remainder of the season, but mainly in his less favoured position of right back.[7]

When Bruce brought Taylor to Birmingham he mentioned his admiration for the player's ability to play in any defensive position;[8] this versatility ideally suited him to a backup role in the event of injury to any of the first choice defenders. In the following season, the form and fitness of Upson and Cunningham, together with the arrival of Dutch international fullback Mario Melchiot from Chelsea, considerably restricted Taylor's appearances. In the second half of the 2005–06 season he had a long run in the side due to Upson's ankle injury, a run which coincided with some of Birmingham's better performances.[9]

The departure of Cunningham and Melchiot following Birmingham's relegation from the Premiership, with Upson still injured long-term, provided an opportunity for Taylor to establish his first-team place alongside newly-arrived Bruno N'Gotty. But Bruce also recruited Tunisian international Radhi Jaïdi, and preferred the more robust physical approach of Olivier Tébily while Jaïdi built up match fitness.[10] However N'Gotty's suspension proved the catalyst for an upturn in fortunes for Taylor. He was named captain after Damien Johnson suffered a broken jaw, and his rapport with fellow centre-back Jaïdi has helped Birmingham to maintain a strong position in the Championship in the 2006–07 season. In recognition of his value to the club, in April 2007 he signed a new three-year contract with an option for a further two years.[11]

However, he wasn't first choice with Birmingham back in the Premier League, not playing a league game. On November 1 2007, he became new Norwich City manager Glenn Roeder's first signing, joining on a month's loan, due to end on December 8 2007.[12] In his debut game for Norwich against Ipswich Town on November 4 2007, Taylor played a large role in his side's first goal, as his header was deflected in off Ipswich defender Owen Garvan. Garvan was eventually credited with the own-goal. Taylor went on to score with a diving header against Blackpool and added considerable solidity at the back for Norwich. Though Norwich hoped to extend the loan, this was not possible so Taylor returned to Birmingham at the end of the initial month.[13]

Following Alex McLeish's arrival as Birmingham manager, Taylor was told that he was surplus to requirements; the club accepted an offer from QPR, reported at £1.25 million, but the player rejected it.[14] However, injury to Rafael Schmitz, Jaïdi's absence on international duty and McLeish's failure to sign any of his defensive targets gave Taylor a first league start of the season in a 1–1 draw with Derby County in January 2008.[15] He kept his place for the next match despite the availability of Schmitz and Jaïdi, and his impressive form left him in McLeish's plans for the remainder of the season.[16]

Eduardo da Silva leg break incident

On 23 February 2008, in the third minute of Birmingham's home match against Arsenal, Taylor committed a foul on Croatian international striker Eduardo da Silva as a result of which Eduardo suffered a compound fracture to his left fibula and an open dislocation of his left ankle. He received treatment on the field for seven minutes before being taken to Selly Oak Hospital, where he underwent surgery, and was transferred to a London hospital the following day.[17][18] The injury was so disturbing that Sky Sports, who were broadcasting the game live, decided not to show replays of the incident.[19] Taylor was sent off for the offence.[17]

In his post-match interview, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger called for a life ban for Taylor,[17] but retracted his remarks later that day, admitting they had been excessive and made in the heat of the moment.[20] Shortly after the match, Birmingham City issued a statement asserting Taylor's lack of malicious intent and his distress at the injury, and sending their best wishes to Eduardo.[17] mataylCroatia captain Niko Kovač referred to the "brutality" of the incident,[21] while Birmingham manager Alex McLeish and former coach Steve Bruce insisted that Taylor was not a malicious player,[17] and Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner, a teammate of Taylor's while on loan at Birmingham during the 2006–07 season, agreed that there was no intent to injure, though "it was a bad tackle and he deserved to be sent off".[22] Death threats appeared on the internet, and security staff had to stop men believed to be Croatian journalists getting into Taylor's car at Birmingham's training ground.[23]

Taylor visited Eduardo in hospital the day after the match,[24] although the player was under sedation and did not remember the visit.[25] Eduardo accepted that the injury had not been inflicted deliberately,[25] as his international manager Slaven Bilić confirmed.[23]

FIFA president Sepp Blatter requested the Football Association's file on the matter be sent to their disciplinary committee for review. FIFA then invited the FA to reconsider the matter with a view to increasing Taylor's punishment from the standard three-match ban, which they refused to do as there was no suggestion of intent.[26]

Honours

with Blackburn Rovers

References

  1. ^ a b "Souness pleads with 'Tiny' Taylor to get tough". Lancashire Evening Telegraph. 2002-01-26. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  2. ^ "Blackburn squad profiles". BBC Sport. 2002-02-19. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  3. ^ Tattum, Colin (2003-09-01). "Blues target tipped for England". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  4. ^ Dunn, David (2004-02-04). "Good bit of business". The Football Association. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  5. ^ Tattum, Colin (2004-01-31). "Damien backs Tiny to walk tall". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  6. ^ Clarkson, Ian (2004-02-01). "Taylor looks set to sign". (Birmingham) Sunday Mercury. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  7. ^ a b Tattum, Colin (2004-02-03). "Taylor: I am back on track". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  8. ^ Curtis, John (2006-01-20). "Taylor completes City switch". PA Sport. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  9. ^ Tattum, Colin (2008-02-12). "Martin Taylor targets the ton for Birmingham City". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
  10. ^ Tattum, Colin (2006-08-26). "Wolves boss targets Blues duo". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2007-03-27. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Tattum, Colin (2007-04-06). "Taylor signs new long-term Blues deal". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  12. ^ "Roeder swoops for defender Taylor". BBC. 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  13. ^ "Taylor returns to Birmingham City". BBC. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  14. ^ Tattum, Colin (2007-12-14). "Martin Taylor rejects QPR move". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  15. ^ Tattum, Colin (2008-02-12). "Martin Taylor targets the ton for Birmingham City". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  16. ^ "Martin Taylor wins back his Birmingham City place". Birmingham Mail. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  17. ^ a b c d e "Wenger fury after Eduardo injury". BBC Sport. 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  18. ^ "Club releases statement on Eduardo injury". Arsenal F.C. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  19. ^ Parrish, Rob (2008-02-23). "Eduardo suffers horror break". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  20. ^ Clarke, Richard (2008-02-23). "Wenger - Taylor comments were 'excessive'". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 2008-02-27. It was a highly emotional afternoon and we were all shocked by the injury to Eduardo. On reflection, I feel that my comments about Martin Taylor were excessive. I said what I did immediately after the game, in the heat of the moment.
  21. ^ Hodges, Vicki (2008-02-24). "Arsenal face anxious wait on Eduardo update". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  22. ^ {{cite web Their was also a huge online petition on the internet which recieved 26858 signatures to get Martin Taylor baneed, which eventually was closed after the FA decided they would not be taking further action. [1] |url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=news&article=488124&cpid=703&title=Bendtner+-+We+must+put+%27terrible%27+day+behind+us |title=Bendtner - We must put 'terrible' day behind us |publisher=Arsenal F.C. |author=Clarke, Richard |date=2008-02-26 |accessdate=2008-02-27 |quote=Bendtner is in a unique position to assess Saturday's incident having played with Eduardo for Arsenal this year and with Martin Taylor while on loan at Birmingham last season. He was adamant there was no malice in the challenge. 'He's not a player like that. He's really calm. He's not one who goes in to hurt people, never. But in football things like this happen. But, even though he is not one who does bad tackles, it was a bad tackle and he deserved to be sent off. The referee had no choice.'}}
  23. ^ a b "Eduardo faces nine-month lay-off". BBC Sport. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-02-27. The injury made the tackle look bad," Billic told BBC Radio 5 Live. "You see many tackles like that, almost every week. That's perhaps wrong for football but I'm sure Martin Taylor is a sportsman and he wanted to play the ball. On another occasion Eduardo could have received a worse tackle and got away without injury - everything went wrong but Eduardo knows Taylor didn't do it deliberately.
  24. ^ O'Rourke, Peter (2008-02-24). "Taylor makes Eduardo visit". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
  25. ^ a b Hughes, Matt (2008-02-26). "Arsenal hoping to see Eduardo back in action by end of the year". The Times. Retrieved 2008-03-06. As far as I remember, Martin Taylor has still not been to see me, but I was under sedation so who knows," he said. "If he does come I will let him see me. I forgive him and know it wasn't deliberate. These things happen.
  26. ^ "Taylor makes Birmingham comeback". BBC Sport. 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
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