CALEB Taylor revealed his “eyes lit up” when he heard Millwall were interested in signing him, and explained why he decided to leave his boyhood club.
The 22-year-old centre-back was a long-term target for the Lions, and he completed his move from West Bromwich Albion in the final week of the summer transfer window.
Taylor signed a long-term deal with the club and made his debut against Wrexham on August 30, coming off the bench in the 82nd minute. He has since made another league substitute appearance against Watford and started against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup Third Round.
Taylor joined West Brom’s academy aged ten and made his debut aged eighteen, but he was unable to break into the first team, spending the past three seasons on loan at League One. He finished his Baggies career having made twelve appearances.
Taylor explained to NewsAtDen why he decided to move on from West Brom.
“I’m really happy with my time at West Brom,” Taylor said. “I loved it there, it’s my home club.
“But it gets to a point where if you’re not playing, you’ve got to play [somewhere]. I was 22, turning 23 this year. My chance there had gone, and I needed to prove myself somewhere else.
“When I heard Millwall [were interested], it was at the start of a window, my eyes lit up, my family’s eyes lit up. My dad knows what a big club it is and how good the fans are. When I heard about it, I was just really excited and really wanted to get it done.”
Taylor pointed to the Lions’ long-term prospects as another important factor in his decision.
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“The standard Millwall team is defensively good,” Taylor said. “They try to keep a lot of clean sheets.
“The last four, five seasons, they’ve finished in the top half or around it, and nearly got play-offs last year. They’re a club that’s definitely going forward.
“When I spoke to the manager before I came, he was telling me how much they’re developing the training ground, the stadium, and how they’re pushing to improve.
“They might finish high every year, so I can definitely see what project they’re trying to achieve here. It’s exciting, and I’m really happy to hopefully be a part of it going forward.”
As Taylor became aware of Millwall’s interest in him, he sought advice from ex-Lion Jed Wallace, who spoke glowingly of the club.
“I spoke to Jed quite a lot because he was really helpful with me coming through the last few years,” Taylor said. “He was telling me how much of a great club it is, and he was telling me about [Jake] Cooper because they’re good friends.
“Then I knew Tristan [Crama] because I’ve played against him a few times. I think he scored against me last season. I knew what type of player he is.
“I played with Kamarl [Grant], he came on the trial at West Brom when he was sixteen or something. When I walked in, I was like, ‘Oh my god’, I recognize you. I can remember when you were at West Brom for a tiny bit.
“I knew what kind of players were here. I knew how experienced and how much promise everyone here has.”
While Taylor has plenty of experience at the League One level, making 88 appearances across three seasons, he had only made four substitute appearances in the Championship ahead of his move.
Does he feel ready for the step up?
“I know what it would be like because I’ve trained with top, fast Championship players,” Taylor said.
“I know it’s different from a game, but I know what to expect. Even in League One, it’s very good physically. I’m just looking forward to trying to adapt to it and test myself, really.”
Taylor has already tested himself against top-quality opponents in a Millwall shirt, starting away at Selhurst Park as part of a back three, alongside Crama and Grant.
“The first ten minutes were very intense,” Taylor said. “Getting used to it took me a few minutes.
“But as soon as we settled down as a team, I think we kept possession well. Individually, I think I won my duels, which is the main thing defensively. I did my job, which is the most important thing for me as a centre-half.
“Then, in possession, I grew into the game and tried going forward a bit more, tried playing through the lines more. I think it was a positive performance from the team as well.”
Taylor was often tasked with marking former Lion Romain Esse, who was replaced at half-time after frequently emerging second best in duels with the centre-back.
“The game plan was to be aggressive, and being a wide centre-half, it was important that I stepped out when the ball was there because I was maybe the spare man,” Taylor said.
“If you just sit in, they’ll keep the ball and keep attacking us. I was really trying to be on the front foot, and anytime the ball went into him, I was just trying to get as tight as possible.
“It was a good challenge; he’s a good player. Playing for a Premier League team, he’s got a lot of skills, so I had to be on it that day.”
It is not the first time Taylor has come up against a top-flight side.
The centre-back was thrown into the deep end as an eighteen-year-old, making his first-team debut for West Brom against Arsenal in the EFL Cup Second Round in August 2021.
Taylor started in the heart of defense as part of a very young side, while Arsenal had a full-strength front four of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Nicolas Pepe.
The Gunners won the tie 6-0.
“It was a great experience,” Taylor said.“Looking back, I don’t think I realised how young I was.
“I thought at that time I was ready for first-team football; I should be playing all the time. I was definitely young and inexperienced, but it was such an important game for me to play.
“The team we played against was one of the best teams in the country in Arsenal. The result wasn’t great, but we had a young team anyway. It was a good experience.”
When asked how he found the physical levels, Taylor said: “That was the biggest thing, physically.
“I don’t think I was ready then for that level of speed. I got a cramp after seven minutes or something. It was definitely a learning curve for me.”
Taylor was handed the armband for eight minutes after Robert Snodgrass was substituted off, a notable achievement for a teenager.
However, he was used to the role.
“I was captain throughout all the age groups, from eleven and upwards,” Taylor said. “Then, when I was in the under-18s and the scholar group, I was also captain for the FA Youth Cup. So I think they wanted to see how I’d do in a first-team game.
Taylor never quite got a consistent run of games for the Baggies despite a promising debut, going out on loan three seasons in a row to League One.
He joined Cheltenham Town for the 2022-23 season, Bolton Wanderers for the latter half of the following campaign, and Wycombe Wanderers last year.
Taylor was initially recalled from his loan spell with Wycombe in January after impressing, making one appearance for West Brom in a 5-1 FA Cup loss to Bournemouth, before returning to the Chairboys later that month.
Taylor thinks his extensive experience in League One has him in good standing as he makes the leap up a division.
“All [loans] were important for different reasons,” Taylor said. “At Cheltenham, it was my first loan, and it was my first experience of getting men’s football in League One.
“I really enjoyed my time there and played nearly 50 games in a year. So as an eighteen-, nineteen-year-old, it really helped me.
“Then Bolton was another League One loan, but this time at the top of League One, where you’re expected to get promoted and do well. There was a good away support and home support, so they’re always expecting to win. That was another learning curve because I got injured, and I didn’t always play as well. I had to adapt to that.
“Then Wycombe last year was my favorite year in football because I was playing every week and we were flying at the top of League One.
“We should have been promoted if we had finished a bit stronger. But that was just so fun. I enjoyed every game, and going to train every day was a good experience.
“After three years, it was definitely time for me to take the next challenge and try to play in the Championship. That’s why I’ve done it.”
