Why Leeds’ former player of the year has shot himself in the foot

The inevitable finally happened to Leeds in July, as academy product and fans favourite Charlie Taylor finally got his long-term wish of leaving Elland Road for greener pastures – the English Premier League.

The 23-year-old left-back left for Burnley after 14 years with the Yorkshire outfit, but is finding out that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Taylor has yet to make a league appearance for the Clarets, and only tasted action for the 2nd time this term in Tuesday’s EFL Cup against his childhood club.

Leeds currently top the Championship, and genuinely look topflight-bound this time around, more than they have ever been.

At Turf Moor, 32-year-old Stephen Ward continues to block Taylor’s path to the first team having played every minute of the EPL campaign thus far, and considering he played 37 league games last term, the ex-Leeds man has no choice but to bide his time.

Taylor’s time will surely come, or so it seems, but remaining at Elland Road and earning long-awaited promotion with the Whites would have been a better choice.

The English youngster always wanted a big move, but a switch to a bottom-half-of-the-table team doesn’t come across as one.

A single topflight campaign with Leeds, and a true big club could have handed Taylor the chance he has always craved.

The future remains bright for him, though, but should he fail to establish himself in Burnley’s XI next season or the upper one, his once-promising career could nosedive, and he could be left to rue his decision to ditch Leeds in the end.