Following the recent departure of Neil Harris back to his beloved Millwall, fans of Cambridge United could have been forgiven for expecting their season to crash and burn. Thankfully, though, following Garry Monk’s appointment, there are some encouraging signs emerging. This was particularly evident in the 1-1 draw with Northampton Town in Monk’s opening game in charge, with the solid point arriving off the back of four losses on the bounce.

It came as no surprise to see the U’s pick up a valuable point as soon as Lyle Taylor was restored to the side following his return from suspension. A player Monk will undoubtedly know a lot about, the former Charlton man, a club he helped fire to Championship football, a competition where the likes of Leicester City and Leeds United are being tipped for promotion when looking at football betting odds, Taylor has proven to be an integral part of Cambridge’s recent revival. In fact, the former AFC Wimbledon hero has played a pivotal role in recent weeks, scoring and assisting on numerous occasions and elevating Cambridge’s somewhat blunt attack before he joined the club.

Taylor is hungry to kick on

Following a period of stagnation after being frozen out at Nottingham Forest when the club won promotion to the Premier League, Taylor joined Wycombe in November having not played a league game since May 2022, when he was on loan at Birmingham City. His stint with the Chairboys clearly benefitted him, with the short-term deal enabling the Montserrat international to build his fitness back up, be in and around first-team football, and adapt to playing competitive League One matches once again. Additionally, Wycombe were short up top at the time, and it was a move that benefited all parties.

While it didn’t work out in the end, and Taylor ultimately departed the club for pastures new with Cambridge United, it was the perfect scenario for the U’s as they were able to snap up a player of his calibre who was returning to full fitness after playing for a rival club in the same division. Wycombe’s loss has been Cambridge’s gain, with the former Womble clearly aiming to find a new long-term home and striving to be wanted.

After signing for the club in January, Taylor said: “The only thing you can ask for as a footballer is to be wanted and I have played my best football when I have been wanted and given the responsibility to be the man up top to carry the team forward. Hopefully that is what will happen here and we can bring some short-term success and solidify the team’s position in the league.”

Monk will do extremely well to keep hold of Taylor

Like many goal-getters with big egos, if Taylor needs to feel wanted, then he must be feeling the love from the Cambridge United supporters so far. The former Sheffield United and Scunthorpe man is a player who has been adored by fans at some of his former clubs, particularly at AFC Wimbledon, the phoenix club that helped him turn his career around after failing to settle anywhere else previously.

Something Garry Monk might employ himself as he aims to build his own squad of players for next season, Taylor was a disruptive figure at times during his career with Wimbledon. Then manager, Neal Ardley, put up with it given his performances on the pitch and essentially realised that he always needed to play on the edge.

As Cambridge fans will have noticed, Taylor is a vocal presence on the pitch, winding up opposition players and enjoying the dark arts that he exhibited in a Wimbledon shirt on a weekly basis. A more mature professional these days, though, and someone who can pass his experiences on to some of Cambridge’s bright talents, Taylor will always showcase his wild side on occasions, but it’s what brings the very best out of him as a player. Should Monk tell him to cut it out, then there’s every chance Cambridge United won’t have the same player on their hands.

After all, Cambridge, and Monk, should be doing their upmost to accommodate a striker who could potentially be playing in the Championship, if not in the higher end of League One. He has experienced promotion from League Two with AFC Wimbledon, he played a key role in Charlton’s promotion out of League One to the Championship, and his signing is still widely regarded as a major coup for a club down at the bottom of the table.

Although this doesn’t mean that Monk should risk upsetting the apple cart to keep a character like Taylor at the club, he’s a player who brings the quality needed to succeed at this level of football. If Cambridge United can’t keep hold of him, be it in League One or even for a promotion push out of League Two next season, then other clubs will almost certainly give him a platform to shine.

Taylor would surely love to stay despite Harris’ departure

It remains to be seen whether or not Garry Monk sees Lyle Taylor as a key man to keep hold of for next season, but Taylor would undoubtedly be keen to sign on for another year or two if he feels wanted.

Given his impressive performances against the likes of Shrewsbury, where he bagged a brace and looked too good for the level, finding a way to keep hold of the maverick attacker should be a priority in the summer.

While it’s clear the main reason he joined the club was to be reunited with his good friend and manager at the time, Neil Harris, it’s now up to Monk to show the 33-year-old just how much he values him.

Please gamble responsibly.