Bolton have completed the signing of midfielder Matt Taylor from Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee. The deal had been going on since the beginning of the transfer window, but Portsmouth were reluctant to sell until they had brought in some players of their own. Just a couple of hours after Diarra left Arsenal for Fratton Park, Taylor was on his way to the Reebok.
Taylor is remembered for not much other than a couple of spectacular goals last season, but according to Pompey fans on 6-0-6, he is not to be underestimated.
Matt is a quality player who is very versatile on the left hand side. He is a proven Premier League performer who will bring additional quality to our squad.
He has attracted interest from a number of clubs and I am delighted that we have managed to bring him to the Reebok Stadium.
We’re really pleased. It’s been a long, drawn-out transfer. The agreement was over two weeks ago when we spoke to Portsmouth and got the agreement on the fee and how it would be paid.
We didn’t get permission to speak to him at that time because Harry and Peter Storrie wanted to bring in their own players before that.
We’re delighted we’ve managed to sign Matty in the face of stiff competition from two big Premier League clubs.
Once we did get permission to speak to Matty it was quite smooth.
We showed him around the club, showed him the training ground and the ground, he obviously knows quite a few of the players. We spoke for a while and we’re delighted that he’s here.
We can play him wide left or we can play him at left-back. We’re fortunate that we’ve got Ricardo Gardner who can do the same.
They’ll compete for that spot, and we’ve got Diouf away with the African Nations, that’s where he’s been playing and he’s quite versatile.
- Gary Megson
Bolton made me feel very welcome, the manager was very welcoming, and the key thing was he wanted me.
Football club-wise, as soon as I went up there I had a gut feeling it was what I wanted. The Reebok was where I wanted to play.
Gary Megson just showed that he wanted me - that’s a fantastic feeling. That’s not to say the other clubs didn’t also show that, but Bolton was right for me.
Hopefully I can repay the manager for the money he has spent on me. I hope to start doing that as soon as possible.
I believe this is a very good decision in my career.
- Matt Taylor
Taylor could figure in Bolton’s trip to Newcastle on Saturday.
