Lyle Taylor’s time at Colchester United is over after the striker confirmed he will not be returning to the Essex side this season.
Taylor was the club’s top scorer last season as they pushed for the League Two playoffs, finishing three points short of Chesterfield in seventh place. He scored ten times in league play across 40 matches after joining on a free transfer from Cambridge United.
Taylor Confirms News
Whilst the U’s had offered a new deal to the 35-year-old forward over the summer, according to Taylor on social media, the offer has been withdrawn and his chance to return to Essex this summer has been and gone. He is currently recovering from a calf injury sustained last season, with his last action coming in April against Newport County when he was forced off of the pitch 12 minutes into the game.
The announcement, published on his Instagram account, reads (Quotes via Daily Gazette):
“The time has come for me to leave Colchester.
“Due to circumstances beyond mine and the management’s control, the option to stay at the club has been taken away.
“It’s sad to leave a place that took me in and treated me so well, a fanbase who did nothing but support and love me.
“To Danny Cowley, Nicky Cowley, every single member of back room staff, my teammates, the training ground staff and the stadium staff, thank you.”
The news of Taylor’s departure leaves the club with three senior striker options in Samson Tovide, Jaden Williams and Will Goodwin, with the latter two starting in their League Two season opener against Tranmere Rovers last weekend.
Writers’ View
This is a big blow for Colchester United as their season begins. Lyle Taylor was a well-regarded and admired figure within the squad and could clearly still cut it at the League Two level so for the club to take away their contract offer is hard to understand. Nevertheless, he leaves the club with good memories and with the direction the club has gone in during the past season, he could be regarded as someone who helped the U’s claw their way back up the leagues. It leaves Danny Cowley now in need of a new striker going into this season, but that decision may depend on how his current forward options perform in the coming weeks.
