Matty Taylor

Matthew James Taylor (born 30 March 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Cheltenham Town.

Taylor made his debut in the Conference Premier at Oxford United during the 2007–08 season, and went on to spend time on loan at Abingdon United, before joining Didcot Town on a free transfer in June 2009.

He played four games in the 2007–08 season and seven in the 2008–09 campaign.

In 2008, he had a loan spell at Southern League Division One South & West club Abingdon United.

In June 2009, he signed for newly promoted Southern League Premier Division club Didcot Town on a free transfer, following his release from Oxford days after helping the team lift the Oxfordshire Senior Cup.

In 2009, he moved on to Southern League South & West Division club North Leigh.

He was one of the Southern League's top scorers during the 2010–11 season, with a hat-trick against Bridgwater Town taking him to 22 league goals by March.

He moved on to North Leigh later in the year, where his scoring record in the Southern League earned him a return to the Conference Premier with Forest Green Rovers in September 2011.

He went on to score 40 goals in all competitions that season, leaving him with a final total of 80 goals in 92 games for the club, and turned down the offer of a full-time contract from Newport County to sign a new part-time contract with North Leigh in July 2011.

He missed the start of the new season with a minor knee injury.

In September 2011, Taylor had a trial with Cheltenham Town but went on to sign for Forest Green Rovers.

Taylor was scouted by the club's academy boss Scott Bartlett, and manager Dave Hockaday said he could become a "big asset" for the club.

His first goals for the Nailsworth club came in the form of a hat-trick in a 4–1 win over Alfreton Town at The New Lawn.

He went on to score ten goals from 32 games as Forest Green finished tenth in the Conference Premier at the end of the 2011–12 season.

He signed a new contract in March 2012.

He scored 11 goals from 47 appearances in the 2012–13 campaign, with Rovers again finishing tenth, and had his contract extended for another year.

He struggled for form early in the 2013–14 season, being limited to three goals in eight starts and five substitute appearances, and on 31 January was loaned out to fellow Conference Premier club Chester until the end of the season.

He continued to train with Rovers in the week as Chester were a part-time club, returning to the Deva Stadium for Chester's weekly training session and for matches.

Having scored six times in seven matches for Steve Burr's side, he was recalled by Adrian Pennock at his parent club.

He failed to add to his goal tally from another 14 games for Forest Green as the club finished tenth for a third consecutive season.

He rejected the club's offer of a new contract.

He played over 100 games for the club, and also scored six goals in seven games on loan at Chester and won a cap for the England C team, before signing with Bristol Rovers in June 2014.

On 16 June 2014, Taylor signed a pre-contract agreement with recently relegated Conference Premier club Bristol Rovers, reportedly rejecting offers from former clubs Oxford United and Chester, as well as Mansfield Town and Kidderminster Harriers.

He finished the 2014–15 season with 21 goals in 51 games, including one in each of the play-off semi-final matches against former club Forest Green Rovers.

He played the full 120 minutes of the play-off final and scored Rovers' second penalty of the shoot-out victory as they secured an immediate return to the Football League.

He helped Rovers to win promotion into the Football League via the play-offs in 2015.

A second-successive promotion was secured in the 2015–16 campaign, and he was named on the PFA Team of the Year after finishing as League Two's top scorer with 27 goals.

Taylor scored his first Football League goal in a 3–1 win over Barnet at the Memorial Stadium on 22 August 2015.

He was nominated for the League Two Player of the Month award for October after scoring four goals.

On 1 December, he scored a 12-minute second-half hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Wycombe Wanderers.

He earned another Player of the Month nomination after scoring four goals and providing two assists in December.

He scored another hat-trick on 1 March, in a 4–1 win over Hartlepool United.

After scoring 19 goals for Bristol Rovers in the first half of the 2016–17 season, he transferred to local derby rivals Bristol City for a fee of around £300,000 in January 2017.

He was limited to nine Championship goals in a three-year stay, though did feature in the club's run to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup in the 2017–18 campaign.

He rejoined Oxford United on loan in August 2019 and signed a permanent deal with the club in July 2020.

He finished as Oxford's top scorer for three successive League One campaigns between 2019–20 and 2021–22, scoring 64 goals in 164 league and cup appearances.

He joined Port Vale on loan for the second half of the 2022–23 season, and rejoined Forest Green Rovers in July 2023.

He signed with Cheltenham Town in February 2024.

Taylor was born in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and attended Gosford Hill School and Oxford & Cherwell Valley College.

His football career started at Conference Premier club Oxford United, having been in the academy since the age of eight.