Lincoln City striker Joe Taylor has been approached by representatives of the Scotland National Team as they attempt to persuade him to switch international allegiances, according to Football Insider.
The 22-year-old began the season at League Two’s Colchester United from Premier League outfit Luton Town. He proved to be a huge hit at the Essex-based side, scoring 11 times in 25 league outings.
It was this form which prompted the Hatters to recall the attacker in January, where they were keen to send him to League One to see if he could replicate his antics from the fourth tier in a higher division. There was plenty of interest, with promotion-chasing Bolton Wanderers amongst the names that were linked, but Lincoln ultimately won the battle amidst their ongoing striker injury issues.
Taylor took a few games to settle in at his new home but bagged his first goal for the Imps in a 1-0 victory over Exeter City in February. Led by Michael Skubala, the East Midlands side have surged up the table in recent weeks and now sit on the fringes of the play-offs.
This rise has been driven by the loanee’s actions in front of goal. He enjoyed a prolific March and bagged his first hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Bristol Rovers, whilst also bagging two against Cambridge United and one against Barnsley. All this culminated in him being named the League One Player of the Month.
🏆 City forward Joe Taylor has won the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month award for March!
👏 Fully deserved, @_jtaylor02_!#WeAreImps
— Lincoln City FC 🇺🇦 (@LincolnCity_FC) April 12, 2024
The loanee has represented Wales under-21 on three occasions, most recently in November last year. Despite that, it is claimed that Scotland are keen for him to switch his allegiance to them, for whom he qualifies for through his grandmother.
Football Insider also state that Steve Clarke is considering calling Taylor up for the June friendlies against Gibraltar and Finland ahead of their Euro 2024 campaign, which kicks off against hosts Germany.
Despite his limited game time for Luton, he did score his spot kick in the penalty shootout win over Coventry City in the play-off final last season after being introduced as an extra-time substitute.
Meanwhile, the striker is set to lead the line for Lincoln tomorrow afternoon when they face Wigan Athletic at the LNER Stadium.
Writer’s View
If Taylor is eligible to represent Scotland, it is unsurprising to see them make a late attempt to steal his services. He looks to be a player that will be capable of forging out a good career in the Premier League and has been a huge hit for both Colchester and Lincoln this season.
Imps fans should enjoy him whilst they can because there will be no shortage of offers in the summer. Should Luton suffer relegation to the Championship, there is every opportunity he could be leading their line next season. However, should they survive, a loan move to the second tier looks likely. Lincoln will be hoping they can achieve promotion and be in the running to bring him back to Sincil Bank.
Head of Writing
