Shaun Taylor (born 26 February 1963) is an English former professional footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing for Exeter City, Swindon Town and Bristol City.
Taylor was born in Plymouth. A hard-tackling no-nonsense defender, he played non-league football for clubs including St Blazey and Bideford before moving to Exeter City in December 1986 at the age of 23. He captained Exeter to the Fourth Division championship in 1989–90, and played 200 league games for the club before moving to Swindon Town in July 1991 for a £200,000 fee. He was an ever-present as Swindon gained promotion to the Premier League in 1992–93, a season when he scored 13 goals, a high total for a defender, and played every game in their only season in the top flight. After a second relegation, he captained Swindon to the Second Division title, and became the first player to win the club's Player of the Year award three times. He played 259 games in all competitions for the club before joining Bristol City in September 1996 for £50,000.
After a further 105 league games for Bristol City, helping the club to promotion to Division One in 1998, Taylor retired as a player and joined the club's coaching staff. Released in May 2005, he moved to Conference National club Forest Green Rovers in June as assistant to manager Gary Owers; their contracts were terminated by mutual consent after a poor start to the 2006–07 season. In July 2009 Taylor rejoined Exeter City as youth coach. He is now currently Assistant manager at Exeter City's Devon rivals Torquay United (June 2011.)
Taylor's younger brother Craig was also a professional footballer.
Famous quotes containing the word taylor:
“One sorry fret,
An anvill Sparke, rose higher,
And in thy Temple falling, almost set
The house on fire.
Such fireballs dropping in the Temple Flame
Burns up the building: Lord, forbid the same.”
—Edward Taylor (1645–1729)