Tue 14 Jul - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 3mins
Charlie Taylor says it was a ‘no-brainer’ for him to sign on the dotted line for Derby County.
The 32-year-old became the Rams’ second signing of the summer window on Tuesday, admitting his mind was set on linking up with John Eustace’s squad as soon as he heard of the club’s interest.
Taylor also spoke of the pull of Derby’s fanbase and the Pride Park Stadium atmosphere, as well as his desire to pass on his wealth of Premier League experience to the younger members of the Rams’ squad.
Speaking to RamsTV, the former Leeds United, Burnley and Southampton defender started by outlining the factors that first attracted him to DE24.
It's a massive club with great facilities. Just wandering around, looking at the training ground, it's very impressive. I’m extremely happy to be here.
As soon as I knew of Derby's interest, it was a bit of a no-brainer for me, really.
I've played here [at Pride Park] a few times. It’s a lovely stadium, but I think the main thing that attracted me is the fanbase. Whenever I've played here, it's always been a sell-out, a full crowd, and that's what you want as a player.
You always want to be playing in the packed stadiums, in front of big crowds and passionate fans, and that's exactly what Derby have.
I've known about it for a little bit, and I think once stuff gets agreed, it's quite fast from there. You don't really get much time to think about it; not that I needed any thinking, really. As soon as I knew of Derby's interest, it was a no-brainer for me.
I was itching just to get in with the group, meet the lads and train.
Obviously, I've changed a bit over the years. You pick up a lot of experience, and I think that makes you a better player.
I'm not the young teenager that I was when I first started, but you make up for that in experience now. I've played a lot of games, and I feel fit and fresh. I’m really looking forward to the season.
I'm coming here to help in whatever way I can. Whatever way that is, I'll give it my best on the training pitch and in games. I'm experienced, and I know I can help the younger lads too.
It's a tough league, arguably the hardest league in the world. There are 46 games. It's a long, gruelling season. I think you've just got to take it each game at a time and not get too carried away.
From the outside looking in, we've got a really good squad here. For me, there's no reason why we can't be competitive this season.
