The Jon Taylor interview: the Rotherham United winger on life, love, family, football and a 'smelly' teammate

He’s shared one space with a night owl who kept him awake and another with an ironing board.

The flying winger is the biggest joker in the Rotherham United camp and shakes his head when it comes to his regular partner on Millers away trips.

“Joe Newell, you don't get a wink of sleep when he's about,” he says. “He's driven me mad.”

Then he adds with a mischievous gleam: “He smells a bit as well.”

Away from football, Liverpool-born Taylor is back in Huyton living with his parents while he renovates a house in nearby West Derby that he and girlfriend Ellie will soon be moving into.

“My mum and dad got rid of my bedroom and turned it into an ironing room,” he says. “The ironing is still getting done in my room. The board is still in there.”

The little forward is hoping to be in his new gaffe by Christmas. He's in a rush, he’s always in a rush. Taylor lives just as he plays, just as he joined the Millers: everything done at top speed.

“I got home from training with Peterborough and I had a voicemail from Barry Fry (director of football),” he recalls. “It was like: 'Tayls, we've sorted a deal for you, Mate.' I rang my agent to say it looked like I was off. He said: 'Where to? I haven't heard anything.'

“The next morning, I was at Rotherham and signed straightaway. I wanted to play Championship football. It all took less than 24 hours.

“I didn't want to wait for anyone else, I didn't want to know about anyone else. There were hardly any negotiations. I just wanted to play Rotherham. I've never regretted it, not for a second.”

We meet in a side room at the Millers' Roundwood training headquarters as Taylor sips from a bottle of electrolytes after training.

He's six feet of cheeky grin and seven feet of energy packed into a 5ft 5in body and he's firing out his words, in a thick Scouse accent, quicker than one of his trademark bursts down the flank. I do well to contain him in one place for half an hour.

“Because I'm small, I've always had that little bit of feistiness about me,” he says. “I always wanted to show I could be as good as the bigger lads. I'd run through a brick wall for anybody.

“I've always been like this. I'm just so hyper. When I wake up it's just, snap (clicks his fingers), I'm wide awake. I love my sleep, mind. Every night I'm in bed by nine o'clock.”

Now 26, he arrived at AESSEAL New York Stadium in the summer of 2016 by way of trials as a nine-year-old with Liverpool, a six-year spell in the youth ranks at Wigan Athletic, a league breakthrough at Shrewsbury Town and a move to Posh.

He was Rotherham's record signing but the player everyone knows as 'Tayls' says: “I've never felt any pressure. I've never even thought about it. To be honest, to this day I don't know how much the fee was.

“I didn't get any of it! In fact, to sign for Rotherham I had to give up money owed to me by Peterborough. Barry Fry said I had to give it up if I wanted the Rotherham move so I did. I've never been one to think about stuff like that. I just want to play football.”

Tayls at Wembley with girlfriend Ellie, mum Yvonne and dad Harry

His father, Harry, set him on the path to being a professional, managing the junior Sunday League side that he and elder brother Ben played for as kids.

“My mum and dad have done everything for me,” he reflects. “If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here now.

“When I was starting out at Shrewsbury on a scholarship I wasn't being paid. My dad was paying me to go and play for Shrewsbury's youth team.

“He'd drop me off in Shrewsbury on a Monday morning — that was a drive of an hour and 40 minutes — and then he had to get back to go and work as a tiler.

“He didn't have much money himself so for him to go and do that for me ... I've never spoken to him about it, but it was unbelievable. I'll never forget that.

“My mum and dad come to every single game. Home and away. That's their life. Their life is me. Everyone laughs about it. Our Ben still plays in the Sunday League but he doesn't let them go and watch him play. They would do if it was up to them.”

In a tight Millers dressing room, Taylor is a loud and popular figure among teammates who laugh at him and with him, annoyed and amused in equal measure. Part of the reason why he's so funny is that is he doesn't always realise that he is.

“I don't think, I just do,” he acknowledges, such a believer in forging friendships that he mentions three different best pals in the course of our chat.

One of them is Newell: “He smells. No, really, he does. I put up with him because he's my best mate.”

Newell is a similar character. Possibly the brightest thing in a room occupied by those two would be the light they used to argue about.

“I got rid of Newelly as my 'roomie' about five weeks ago because he used to read his book at night with the light on and the heat from the light kept me awake,” Taylor reveals. “I hate being hot in bed. It was stressing me out.

“He says he can't go to sleep unless he reads his book. I told Ross (Ross Burbeary, head of player performance) behind Newelly's back to change things and not let him know I'd said anything.”

Unlike the light, Taylor has no off switch. Everything is full on. Many players have been affected late on in games by the wide, open space of Wembley but, typically, he was ahead of schedule with his problems at the League One Play-off Final last May.

“To play there was amazing,” he says. “I think I built up the game too much in my head. I had 'dry mouth' before the game and I had cramp even before we kicked off. I get excited all the time, but this was on a different level.

“I can't remember anything about the game. I can remember wearing a Richard Wood magic hat afterwards, but I can't remember the game at all.”

Promotion from League One at the end of his second season in South Yorkshire made up for relegation from the second tier in his first year. Already, he's approaching 100 appearances for the Millers.

“Rotherham as a club sum me up as a player,” he says. “It's a good fit. We suit each other. I'm not one to kid myself that I'm some unbelievable player who should be playing at a higher level than the Championship.

“I know what I am. I'm a hard-working lad who will just keep going. Sometimes I will frustrate people, I know that, but I give everything.”

On the run for the Millers

We're talking a few days before the Sheffield Wednesday derby and Taylor, after starting on the bench at Norwich City the previous weekend, is desperate to regain his place for the Hillsborough showdown.

Suddenly, a little of his brio leaves him. “I do have down days,” he admits. “If I find out I'm not in the team, that's a down day.

“I struggle badly. Not in a nasty way. I'm just gutted. It upsets me because I want to play football every single week.

“I'd never interrupt the gaffer or disrupt a session, not in a million years would I do that, but I do get gutted when I'm not playing, even if I understand why I'm not in the side.”

Ellie and family ground him. “After football, I just like to go home and spend time with her and them,” he says. “That's it really.

“We should be in the new house in a couple of weeks. The end of the ironing board! Bless my dad, he's working so hard. When he finishes work, he goes straight to my house. He's stressed out of his head at the minute. He's done everything for me.”

Ellie's been with him for six years. “She's my best mate, she's sound,” he says. “She's from Liverpool. She's travelled all around the country for me.

“She was at university in Manchester and used to travel to Peterborough even though she couldn't drive when I first went there. She comes to all the games as well, home and away.”

He proudly tells me that he won the golf championship held between Rotherham players, beating, among others, Michael Smith, Anthony Forde, Will Vaulks and Joe Mattock.

“I'm the best player and the worst,” he says. “I can do a brilliant drive but not twice on the trot. It's a bit like my football really ... I can do something unbelievable and follow it up with something cr*p. That's just the way I am, a bit erratic.”

Newell was also among the golfing contenders and mention of his name sparks an admission.

“I've crawled back to him, haven't I,” Taylor says. “We're rooming together again. He has a Kindle now so there's no need for the light to be on. I've been sleeping unbelievably!”

Interview over, we shake hands, Tayls bids me a quickfire 'Cheers, Mate' and I lean across the table to turn off the voice recorder on my phone.

By the time I look up, he's already bolted, the open door the only sign that anyone was ever there.

As it swings shut, it sends up a faint waft of his deodorant.

It smells good. Better than Newell.

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Q&A

Best player played with: Izzy Brown at Rotherham. Or my best mate, Connor Goldson, who's at Rangers now. We played together in the youth team at Shrewsbury. He's quality. He's a fast, strong, ball-playing centre-half.

Best moment: Getting promoted at Wembley, even though I can't remember it. My first memory is running round the pitch after the final whistle. I think the reason I don't remember the game is because I was so focused while I was playing that my mind couldn't handle anything else.

Worst moment: Every time I play badly. I hate it. I used to beat myself up over it really badly when I was younger. It would ruin my whole week. I'd feel so bad. It still ruins me now, but not as much. The best bit of advice I've ever been given is, don't take the highs too high or take the lows too low. I've got the highs sorted. The lows I still struggle with.

Toughest opponent: I don't really think about it. I don't worry about anyone. I think I can get past most people in the league but then I'll put the ball into the stand or not beat the first man with the cross! Eric Lichaj was good against me this season for Hull City.

Best goal: A goal against Millwall for Peterborough. I just cut inside from the left and put it in the top bin.

Funniest teammate: Joe Newell, by a mile. He's hilarious. He does anything to make me laugh. I love him so much. He's a legend.

Best-dressed teammate: There are no poseurs here. That's probably one of the reasons why the gaffer likes us. Zak Vyner is quite cool. He'd probably look the best on a night out.

Longest in the shower: Semi (Ajayi). Now he is a bit of a poseur. I said we didn't have any but Semi is one. He thinks he's very cool.

Best trainer: Wilesy (Ben Wiles). He's quality.

Best stadium played at: Wembley and the Emirates. In the Championship, Villa Park is good.

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HOPING TO STAY

RECORD signing Jon Taylor is hoping Rotherham United offer him the chance to extend his stay at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

The winger's three-year contract expires at the end of the season and the 26-year-old is keen to discuss a new deal.

“I'd love to stay at Rotherham. It's an amazing place,” he says. “I think the fans get how much I try to work hard for the team, although I understand that I probably frustrate them at times!

“I can feel their support. When I'm out and about, I'll speak to anyone. I treat everyone the same. I'll go out of my way to help people.”

Paul Warne's men are 20th in the Championship and Taylor is certain they will stay up.

“I think we're doing really well,” he says. “The table doesn't show how well we've been doing.

“The fans understand it's so much different to the last time we were in the Championship and I think everyone is enjoying it much more.”

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PLAYER STATS

Shrewsbury: Jul 2009-Jun 2014 - 144 games, 21 goals.

Peterborough: Jun 2014-Aug 2016 - 76 games, 16 goals.

Rotherham: Aug 2016-present  - 97 games, 11 goals.

These articles first appeared in last week's Advertiser