Crawley manager pleased with Royals starlet

Crawley manager Richie Barker has praised Reading loanee Jake Taylor for his recent performance in the 2-0 victory against Bury.

The 21-year old joined the League One outfit on an emergency loan deal last week, having recently returned from his short loan spell with Cheltenham Town. Taylor’s current deal is set to run to the end of March, but if the former Welsh under 21 international continues to impress, Barker could extend his stay at the Broadfield Stadium.

Speaking to ThisIsSussex.co.uk, the former Hartlepool manager said: ‘I thought he was excellent against Bury. We started out with a particular game plan, particularly in midfield. Jake Taylor and Matt Sparrow, and Dannie Bulman, were fantastic. For Jake he hasn’t played much league football recently but he was fantastic.’

‘We talked before the game about Matt and Jake getting closer to Jamie Proctor and getting beyond him. The thing is with Jake, he isn’t an academy player who just comes here and wants to get on the ball, he has a really good understanding of his job and his responsibilities when he isn’t on the ball.’

Jake has never really had a chance to get near the first team, so a chance to shine in the third tier is probably a good place for development for his age. He is mainly renowned for playing the number ten role behind the striker, but can be used on the wing.

Wiki page: Jake Taylor