Lee Bowyer – Lyle Taylor insisted to me that he stayed on for the full ninety minutes at QPR
BY LOUIS MENDEZ
Lee Bowyer says that Lyle Taylor insisted he stayed on for ninety minutes of Charlton’s 2-2 draw at QPR – despite only being scheduled to last an hour.
The Addicks grabbed a late point at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium thanks to Naby Sarr’s added-time strike.
Taylor, who is out of contract at the end of the season, made his first start since the end of August for the South Londoners, bagging his side’s first equaliser early in the second-period.
“It was good to have Lyle back,” said Bowyer.
“The plan wasn’t to play him for ninety minutes. The plan was to play him for an hour, maybe seventy minutes. I was hoping we’d nick a goal, change things around and bring Lyle off. But they got one against the run of play.
“Lyle was saying ‘leave me on’. I was thinking I can’t, if you get injured. But that’s the gamble we have to take. Thankfully he’s come through it OK. He’s put his body on the line for the team. The reward is the team leave with the point.”
Bowyer revealed earlier this week that Taylor had declined the offer of a new contract from current owner Roland Duchatelet – and clarified that the offer had nothing to do with potential new owners East Street Investments.
“I think there might have been a bit of confusion,” explained the Addicks boss.
“I spoke to Lyle about it yesterday or the day before. Lyle did get offered a contract by Roland. Maybe two, three months ago. It wasn’t last week or anything. It was a while ago.
“There is a bit of confusion regarding the new party with Matt (Southall – potential new chairman). I don’t know if he thought someone was talking about that. It’s not important. The most important part is that Lyle gets back playing and scoring goals. That’s what he does. Whatever his future will hold, it will hold. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Lyle is an important player to us. If we can keep him, that will only benefit us as a football club.”
PHOTOS: KYLE ANDREWS
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