Who is Jack Taylor, Ireland's mystery man ahead of crunch Finland game
The Boys in Green face Finland in Helsinki on Thursday before travelling to play Greece in Athens on Sunday
Jack Taylor has told Heimir Hallgrimsson that he can be a difference maker for Ireland after stepping in from the cold and into the fire.
This is not the first time the 26-year-old has been involved in senior squads but fans would still be forgiven for asking ‘Jack who?’.
He’s actually the only Premier League central midfielder in this 23-man Ireland squad to face Finland in Helsinki tomorrow, and then Greece in Athens on Sunday.
READ MORE: John O’Shea claims Ireland players are subjected to 'derogatory' comments
But even at that, Taylor is flying under the radar at Ipswich Town as he has yet to start a Premier League game for the Tractor Boys, despite five appearances off the bench.
Taylor played a significant role in their promotion from the Championship, but the step up to the top flight brings competition.
And Taylor has had to be patient with Kalvin Phillips, Sam Morsy and Napoli loan signing Jens Cajuste ahead of him so far in Kieran McKenna’s pecking order.
Hallgrimsson will be a regular fixture at Portman Road matches this season, considering Sammie Szmodics, Chiedozie Ogbene and Dara O’Brien are all Ipswich team-mates of Taylor’s.
“Jack Taylor is getting bigger and bigger roles at Ipswich, a good attacking midfielder, good on the ball, dribbling, running with it, just a quite good attacking player,” said the new Ireland manager.
‘Quite good’ is probably just an unfortunate turn of phrase from the Icelander, but midfield is an area where Ireland lack strength in depth.
A question along those lines irked John O’Shea during the week, and the assistant manager hit out at ‘derogatory’ comments made about the ability of some Irish players in certain positions.
But with Hallgrimsson stressing the need to experiment this week, Taylor is well placed to capitalise on Will Smallbone’s injury enforced absence, and Alan Browne’s axing.
A soft introduction off the bench is more likely than a start for the uncapped player who resurfaces after fleeting appearances in squads - last year the most recent - since breaking in as an unused sub against Bulgaria in 2020 under Stephen Kenny.
When he was U21 manager, Kenny played Taylor at the prestigious Toulon Tournament, even though he was playing for lowly Barnet.
“I was shocked as it was a National League club at the time,” he said. “But I knew I was on (Kenny’s) radar as he was coming to my games. I knew a call-up would be a step forward in my career.”
Taylor progressed to Peterborough United and now Ipswich and is relishing this opportunity to get involved with Ireland, with a cap hopefully in the offing this week.
Recalling his first senior involvement in 2020, Taylor said: “I played for the 21s the night before and Jim Crawford pulled me to say I’d been called into the first-team.
“I got a flight back to Dublin but because of Covid, I couldn’t really mingle with the lads socially. We all had to go to our own rooms. It was a strange one.”
This week is, clearly, very different and Taylor has been able to bed into the squad in a more straightforward manner.
“It means everything,” he said ahead of tomorrow’s Nations League clash at the Olympic Stadium. I haven’t been part of the set-up for a while now so I’m delighted to be recognised.
“I knew the manager was at the game against Aston Villa so I knew if I was to come on and make an impact, I’d at least impress him. Thankfully I’ve eventually been called up.
“I was a bit gutted when I hadn't been called up and questioned why I wasn’t given the opportunity but these things happen in football. You have to get on with it and eventually it has come again.
“I was praying it would come a little bit earlier but I’m just delighted to be here now. When that moment does come, it will be that bit more special for the whole family.”
That Irish colony at Ipswich certainly helps the bedding in process again, although Taylor already knows a host of players from his time with the U21s.
But getting Hallgrimsson’s attention is the name of the game this week, especially so considering the new boss is carefully weighing up his options before next year’s World Cup qualification push.
Hallgrimsson has already told his players that once he settles on a team that works, he won’t be chopping and changing personnel unless he has to.
That means it will be difficult for fringe players to worm their way into the starting XI once it is established under this manager, so Taylor knows he can’t pass up this window of opportunity.
Taylor said: “(Winning a first cap) is definitely the aim. Just to get on the pitch and try to bring something different to the team.
“We need at least a win in this camp, so hopefully a good performance and definitely a good result would be very positive.
“The manager just said that I can bring a different aspect in the middle of the pitch, whether that’s going forward progressing with the ball, he likes my attacking side.
“But obviously defensively, as well you need to bring every aspect of your game to the team. He’s not specifically told me I’m here for this or that, just to embed myself and become a part of the squad.
“We want positive performances and to show the new manager that we are getting things on the pitch. Performances will lead into results which is the main thing for the World Cup pots.”
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Jack Taylor is proud of his Longford roots but might need a trip back to mend some bridges!
The English-born midfielder is hoping to win his first cap for Ireland this week, four years after his first involvement under Stephen Kenny.
The Ipswich Town ace, 26, is eligible for the Boys in Green through his grandfather Jim Skelly who left Longford as a young man and settled in west London after getting married.
Taylor said: “I used to go to Longford most years to see my family. My mum has always been really proud to be Irish and my grandad, when he was here, was the most Irish man ever.
“I know that doesn’t sound like me but he was really proud and he would be very proud now looking down.”
Ireland and Ipswich team-mate Sammie Szmodics also has Longford roots but Taylor spends his time in Dublin when in Ireland.
And while he visited Longford as a kid, he admits he isn’t up to speed on the country any more and said: “I don’t really go over there, I hear it’s in the county somewhere.
“I’ve been there when I was little. I can’t really remember it that much but I don’t think there’s a lot to do there.”
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Ipswich Town can defy the odds and beat the Premier League drop this season.
That’s according to Jack Taylor, the Tractor Boys midfielder who is still chasing a first top flight start this season.
With Southampton’s Will Smallbone ruled out injured, Taylor is the only Premier League midfielder in the Ireland squad to face Finland and Greece.
But despite five appearances off the bench, he has yet to start a league game for Irish manager Kieran McKenna.
Ipswich opened with a gutsy performance in defeat to Liverpool and then scored first - through Ireland’s Sammie Szmodics - in a loss away to Manchester City.
But Ipswich put in solid shifts in drawn games against Fulham, Brighton, Southampton and Aston Villa to settle the nerves, only to suffer a heavy defeat at West Ham.
“We are trying to prove we are in the Premier League for a reason and I think we have started off really well,” said Taylor.
“It’s obviously a step up but we knew it was going to be with the quality of players you’re coming up against week in, week out.
“There are no easy games at all but the step up has gone really well. I’m trying to do as best I can to get that first start.”
Taylor continued: “I knew there was going to be loads of competition getting promoted to the Premier League but I believed in myself that I was good enough to fight for my position.
“The last couple of weeks have shown that. Since I was a kid, you have wanted to play Premier League football.
“Now I’m here and got a taste for it, I want to keep playing in it for at least the next couple of years. There’s plenty more to come.”
But Taylor revealed that hasn’t been peppering team-mate Liam Delap with requests to declare for Ireland - not that he can anyway.
The powerhouse striker is the son of former Ireland international Rory Delap and has banged in three goals in seven Premier League games.
But now 21, and having played for England’s U21s at that age, he is tied to England unless FIFA tweaks the eligibility rules - which has been mooted.
“He’s a great lad,” said Taylor. “I think he’s committed to play for England at the minute, unless he decides to change, then I think we’d be happy enough to get him onboard.”
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