GREG TAYLOR admits he was sad on the day his six-year Celtic career came to an end.
The 28-year-old left-back wanted to say farewell to the fans in style with a rousing send off in the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen at Hampden in May last year.
Taylor had been linked heavily with Greek club PAOK, but still wasn’t absolutely certain about his future when he lined up against the Dons with the Hoops just one victory away from a world record ninth domestic treble.
The Scotland international defender played the entire two hours against the team Brendan Rodgers’ side had thrashed 5-1 at Pittodrie earlier in the month.
BIG NOISE…Greg Taylor attempts to fire up the support during Celtic’s puzzling low-key performance in last season’s Scottish Cup Final flop against Aberdeen.
However, the Hoops turned in a mystifyingly tame performance against Jimmy Thelin’s men and, after a 1-1 draw following extra-time, collapsed to defeat in the penalty-kick shoot-out.
It was a dismal way for Taylor to bow out as a Celt and he said: “The last game was disappointing in terms of losing the Cup Final after doing so well for so long.
“To finish it like that, it was sad.
“I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye properly because I didn’t know 100 per cent if I was going.”
Shortly afterwards, Taylor made his mind up and signed a three-year deal with PAOK following the expiry of his Parkhead contract.
He has made 10 appearances of his new club’s 20 Super League outings so far this season and is adamant he quit the Glasgow giants for regular game-time with the anticipated return of Kieran Tierney after the fans’ favourite’s six-year exile following his £25million move to Arsenal in August 2019.
GRIM AND BEAR IT…Greg Taylor (fourth from right) and his Celtic team-mates share the pain in the dismal penalty-kick shoot-out at Hampden.
Taylor, speaking to the Open Goal podcast, continued: “I’m not saying I was shirking competition, because there had been five or six left-backs who came to Celtic when I had been there.
“But I had the feeling that probably wasn’t going to be the case as such — it wasn’t maybe a fair fight.
“It became clearer that it was going to have to be somewhere else. But even until I signed for PAOK, I still didn’t know completely.”
Brendan Rodgers had made it clear he wanted Taylor to stay at the champions, but, after months of deliberation, the former Kilmarnock defender decided to make the move and added: “I just think it was probably the time for everyone.
THE END…Greg Taylor and Alistair Johnston, who missed a crucial penalty-kick, can’t disguise their disappointment following the Scottish Cup Final loss to Aberdeen.
“I had an amazing six years there. I was at an age that I want to be playing regularly and that was probably the main reason for going.
“In January, Dinamo Zagreb were really keen to sign me at that point, but I was determined to stay and finish the season.
“We were doing in the Champions League with the play-off against Bayern Munich and we had a chance at the treble.”
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way for Taylor, who cost £2.3million when he joined from the Rugby Park club, or his team-mates and the popular Celt decided to take the plunge with PAOK.
