Huddersfield Town manager Lee Grant was full of praise for striker Joe Taylor, who has staked his claim for a starting berth with three goals in the past week.
The 22-year-old was a marquee arrival at the John Smith’s Stadium in January after joining on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Luton Town. The second half of the 2024/25 campaign was a tough one for the attacker, with injury limiting his time on the pitch.
A change of manager and the arrival of the prolific Alfie May have limited his starts this season. He has been named amongst the substitutes in five of the Terriers’ opening six games, although has impressed when on the pitch.
The former Lincoln City loanee scored his first of the season in a 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers last month but he now appears to be finding his stride. Introduced from the bench at half time last weekend, he scored Huddersfield’s consolation in a 3-1 defeat at Barnsley. However, he bagged a brace midweek as the Yorkshire-based side recorded a 6-2 win over Newcastle United under-21s in the EFL Trophy.
Grant Coy On Taylor Starting Berth
Huddersfield will look to return to winning ways on Saturday when they host struggling Peterborough United. Speaking to the media, Grant was asked if Taylor can look forward to a place in the starting lineup:
“It’d be daft to tell you, but every week I make sure to think about which team gives us the best opportunity from the start and how the game is going to look at the end from the bench because both things are important to me.
“Joe’s working really hard and knows I know that as well. I’ve told him as such. I’m really pleased with his work in training and how he dives into his duties when he gets on the field, whether that’s from the start or from the bench.
“That will always go in waves and cycles for everybody, but the whole group is really dialled into the fact they aren’t going to start every game. The fact we have the quality we have, we know that’s going to be the case.”
Writer’s View
Joe Taylor was unlucky with his start to life at Huddersfield Town last season and it would have been easy to become disillusioned after the arrival of Alfie May. However, he has kept his head down and started to show what he can do in the limited time he has been given on the pitch. This has now given the manager a question to answer and it seems like it is just a matter of time before Lee Grant is forced to give him regular opportunities from the off. Birmingham City managed to fit May in alongside Jay Stansfield last season. Huddersfield can do the same here with Taylor.
