Vanarama National League side Wealdstone have announced the signing of Joel Taylor on a permanent deal, after leaving fellow National League side Notts County earlier this week, as revealed on the club’s website.
The 26-year-old left sided defender is looking for more first team opportunities and with current Stones’ defenders Jaydn Mundle-Smith and Lewis Kinsella both out on loan, there will be plenty of opportunity to compete for a starting position.
Having made his way through the Stoke City academy, including a brief loan spell at Rochdale, Taylor joined Kidderminster Harriers in 2017, where he made 62 appearances across two seasons before joining Chester in 2019. His performances at Chester earnt himself a move to Chesterfield in 2020.
He made 16 appearances across the 20/21 season for The Spireites, before moving to Notts County in the summer of 2021. He featured 27 times for County during the 2020/21 season, in which they were defeated 2-1 in the National League play-offs by Grimsby. With only 2 appearances at the start of the 2021/22 season Taylor went out on loan to Dagenham & Redbridge where he returned back to County just over a month ago before making his move to the Stones.
He will be wearing the no.33 shirt and was on the bench during the midweek defeat against Chesterfield at home. Taylor has scored one goal in nine appearances for Notts County this season and departs Meadow Lane with just a couple of months remaining of this season, with County currently involved in a very close title race with Wrexham to earn the only automatic promotion spot and only one of two in next season’s Sky Bet League Two campaign.
🆕 signing
We’re delighted to welcome left-back @JoelTaylor03 to the club! 🙌
He joins having recently departed @Official_NCFC. Welcome to the Stones, Joel! pic.twitter.com/H4W0zrxs3w
— Wealdstone FC (@WealdstoneFC) March 14, 2023
Wealdstone were in high spirits after victory against relegation threatened Torquay United, however were brought back down to earth by Chesterfield, who convincingly beat the Stones 4-0 on Tuesday night this week. The team have won three out of their last five games and collected nine points out of fifteen available and now face a run of five games that includes two top seven teams; Barnet and Notts County.
Writer’s View
The Stones currently sits 8th, as of writing this, five points off of 7th place Eastleigh. The club have never been in the English Football League and now, history could beckon for Wealdstone. This signing could be a crucial piece to the puzzle, as Taylor could achieve a starting role in an attacking team that play good football under Stuart Maynard, who could be scouted by Football League clubs to manage them if the Stones aren’t promoted this season, via the playoffs.
