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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Sport
Leigh Curtis

Nottingham Forest's Lyle Taylor posts telling Instagram message about Birmingham City

Lyle Taylor's career at Nottingham Forest has yet to truly ignite at the City Ground but the Reds forward is clearly feeling the love at Birmingham City.

The forward, who is on loan at Blues for the rest of the season, has scored three goals in six games since being reunited with former Charlton boss Lee Bowyer at St Andrew's.

Taylor took to Instagram after the weekend's draw against Stoke which showed a picture of him saluting the fans with the caption "feeling loved."

The former AFC Wimbledon forward was granted a move to Blues by Forest head coach Steve Cooper back in January after the Reds added to their strikeforce with the captures of Keinan Davis and Sam Surridge.

And with top scorer Lewis Grabban also in the Reds' squad, Taylor's chances of regular first-team football were remote.

But the move seems to have done Taylor - who is fondly thought of by Reds fans - the power of good before he returns to Forest at the end of the season although it remains unclear what the future holds for him Trentside.

Speaking about his move to last month, Taylor told the Birmingham Mail : "It’s strange, I speak to my family and the only way I can put words to it is I actually feel like a footballer again. I am preparing for a game of football.

“Which I haven’t done consistently, or very rarely, for 18 months now, which is disappointing but the only thing I can do is try and do my job and help this team in the best way I know how.

“That’s with experience, a little bit of nous and know-how and hopefully a few more goals.

“It’s hard, it’s a side of football a lot of people don’t see – and don’t care to see if we are being honest.

“I haven’t played games consistently at Forest. Whose fault is that? I wouldn’t say it’s the club’s fault, I wouldn’t say it’s my fault, it’s the outcomes of a set of circumstances.

“The team wasn’t playing that well, I was playing out of necessity because there was a massive Covid outbreak in the squad and we have very few players fit or otherwise.

“Then when the new manager came in he picked a team, the team started well, scoring goals and winning games and ultimately I wasn’t in that team.

“What can I do? I could only push as hard as I was pushing in training. If you ask the manager he will tell you I was one of the better players on the training field every day but it is one of those things.

“If you are not playing or not playing consistently you are not going to be able to do your job, or do your job very well.

“I am not going to sit here and blame the manager or blame anyone because one – what’s the point? And two, there’s no need to apportion blame. It is what it is, that’s football, you have got a squad of 25 players and only 11 or 14 can play any one week.

“I have got a year left on my contract so I am not worried about next year, I am not thinking about next year, that’s not even in my thought process.

“I am here to do my bit for this team, play my part this team’s season and that’s all I’m worried about is the next game, Sheffield United. Let’s go and try and win that game, there’s three points to be had, let’s see where we can go.”

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