Martin Taylor

Blackburn Rovers

Taylor was born in Ashington, Northumberland, and attended Cramlington High School. He played football for Cramlington Juniors before joining 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, and in May 2001 he won his first and only cap for the England under-21 side, as a half-time substitute for John Terry in a 3–0 friendly win against Mexico. Though brought into the squad for the 2002 European under-21 championships to replace the injured Ledley King, he made no further international appearances. 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 – one befitting his 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) frame, which caused his teammates to nickname him "Tiny" – he would not fulfil his potential. He had been viewed as a potential replacement for defenders Henning Berg and Craig Short, but, as Berg left the side, Souness signed Lorenzo Amoruso, because he felt that Blackburn needed experienced centre-backs, and then took Markus Babbel on loan. Though injuries among his defenders made him reluctant to sell, Souness needed to generate transfer funds, so in…

Taylor's son Caleb Taylor became a professional footballer with Millwall, also as a centre back.

Blackburn Rovers

Football League Cup: 2001–02