Greg Taylor went straight from being a Celtic history maker into sorting out wedding venues. Then he’ll be right on to helping Scotland to reach Euro 2024.
But the full-back will make sure that, although he’s got highly-important business to attend to on and off the park in the coming days, he’ll take time to savour his Treble triumph. Taylor capped a stunning club campaign with another polished performance at Hampden as he bagged yet another winners medal.
The defender will be back at the National Stadium two weeks tomorrow as part of Steve Clarke’s side for the qualifier against Georgia. Taylor will have been in Oslo three days earlier to face Norway and, even before that, he’s got important personal work to undertake. Acknowledging his term is far from over, he explained: “Well, I have four days when I can go and see my wedding venue for next year! So I will be doing that first.”
Asked where, Taylor laughed: “I can’t tell you! Don’t want any of you lot lurking about!” From there, it’s back to games and immediately onto the Scotland squad and he continued: “I will try and get a quick recharge of the batteries and then right into the national team.
“It is just the life of a footballer. Certainly boys who play international football. You know you are only ever one game away and the next one is the biggest.
“That’s been the attitude for us at the club as a group of players and that’s the mentality I am sure every one of the international players have because, as soon as you go away and represent your country, there is no prouder honour than that. We will be ready. The size of the games makes a difference, of course. They are not difficult games to motivate yourself for, you know what’s at stake at the end of that.
“The chance to go and represent your country at a major tournament, which we were lucky enough to do once and we want to do it again. I missed the first two [Cyprus and Spain] with injury, unfortunately, so I am delighted to be back involved.
“I went and watched the Spain game. The boys were unbelievable. What a performance. We gave ourselves a great start in the group and something to build on.”
Time to reflect and take in the enormity of his Celtic achievement may be short. Nonetheless, Taylor is determined to make sure he takes it and he would be fully justified in sitting down with pride to assess what he’s just done.
Amongst a squad of glittering stars who have gleamed throughout the record-breaking season, he has shone as brightly as any individual. Raising his levels yet again, the 25-year-old has taken his game to new heights as well as providing a strong senior voice in the dressing room.
Taylor’s campaign would have been deemed a success even had Celtic not seen off Inverness Caley Thistle. But the victory over the Highlanders to complete a clean sweep of domestic honours for an eighth time as a club sets a new global benchmark.
Taylor said: “Exactly. History-makers. What a group of players. Staff, fans, everyone’s played their part so it was a real historic season.
“It is crazy. Some players go their whole careers without the chance to win one trophy, so for us to win three in one season is hard to describe in words.
“We have just done something unbelievable as a group and as a collective. So we will enjoy that.”
Taylor’s team were, of course, overwhelming favourites to complete their mission against the Highlanders. Facing a side from the Championship with history on the line, manager Ange Postecoglou’s team had plenty to lose.
The performance was not one of their vintage under the Aussie’s stewardship, but the relentless appetite to get a job done and clinical edge to make it happen were both there once again to make sure that the party could begin.
Taylor confessed there were some pre-match butterflies as he explained: “That’s funny. Me and Matty [O’Riley] were talking about that on our [pre-match] walk.
“There’s only been a couple of games in my career I have gone into and not been nervous and they are the ones you feel most worried about, when you don’t have that. This game was no different to last week. Just every bit as nervous and recognising the pressure at this club, the pressure of the badge and trying to bring success to the supporters.”
As they have done constantly since Postecoglou walked into the building, Celtic’s players handled the big-game stresses to succeed. Obviously, there was a tinge of restraint amongst the supporters at times with the uncertainty over the manager’s future hanging in the warm Hampden air.
But, while bosses have come and gone, success has stayed with Celtic. This was a 115th trophy won as a club.
The dressing room is led by Callum McGregor who has collected five Trebles on his own and he is now surrounded by a group with serious winning nous. Postecoglou may stay or go, but the squad will mostly be intact for next term.
Taylor says the future at Celtic is bright and stated: “Of course. It’s not just about the players, it is not just about the coaching staff or just about the manager. Everyone has genuinely played a part in that changing room, so I am sure everyone knows that and I hope everyone can appreciate it.”
READ NEXT:
