Lyle Taylor makes Charlton Athletic deal revelation

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Lyle Taylor has piled praise on his agents – and reckons without them his move to Charlton Athletic would probably never have happened.

The striker was a sensation in his first season in SE7 as he scored 25 goals – winning the club’s Player of the Year award as well as a League One play-off final.

But Taylor, speaking to Vast Media Talks on YouTube, has praised SMI  (Sports Management International) – which includes former Millwall striker Leon Constantine.

“I can’t thank them enough for what they have done for me,” said the frontman, 29.

“Not in terms of clubs, contracts or anything like that. They have been there and supported me.

“They are the reason I have signed another two years with them [SMI]. Without Leon, Lee [Matthews] and Mark Obern I doubt I’d be at Charlton. Because that came about through Lee Bowyer’s friendship with Lee.

“They are good people, that’s the biggest thing. They are not agents – they are people first.”

Taylor switched representatives just over two years ago – on the advice of then Dons assistant manager Neil Cox.

“He put me in touch with his friends and said: “These are the people you need. They’ll tell you when you go wrong and they’ll watch you every week. They will help you develop from the outside – not just the people you see day-to-day like team-mates, managers or a psychologist’.

“He put me in contact with Lee Matthews. I met him and Mark Obern before we played Bradford away.

“Leon is in London and is basically my first port of call. He is my go-to. He has watched me probably more times than my parents in the last two years.

“Simply because of that he is the reason I joined the agency. They are family now, because we speak so frequently and I spend so much time with Leon. Mark and Lee are up north.

“He is not a dad – he is not quite old enough! But he is like a big brother. He has always got advice on how to help me in situations.”

Tayor has resumed pre-season training with the Addicks but admits making the most of Charlton’s truncated summer was vital.

“It was only four weeks and it is important to get your rest,” he said. “It was 50 games last season and another 50 coming up. It’s more of a strain on the mental side.

“I think I’ve played something like 200 games in the last four years.”

Taylor reckons he is becoming a calmer and more composed presence – but also puts that down to the quality of the Charlton squad.

“I’m not a screamer or a shouter,” he said. “I’ll just get p***** off and you just want to leave me alone.

“The year just gone by I have been a lot calmer. I used to put my mood down to my team-mates – if I felt they could do more than I’d lose my head.

“No disrespect to Wimbledon, but I used to lose my rag a lot quicker because I expected more from them when maybe it was more than they could actually deliver. So maybe that’s a me issue rather than a them issue.

“I was in a team last season which was unbelievably talented – young, hungry and willing.

“A couple of the young lads would have the music on when you got into training in the morning – Joe Aribo, Naby Sarr, Anfernee Dijksteel, Tariqe Fosu and Karlan Grant. They’d all be dancing and it was quite funny. Everyone got involved either watching or filming. That helped bring the team together. Everyone was relaxed.

“It was French music and Afrobeats because Naby is a French-African.”