Caleb Taylor makes 'my chance there had gone' admission after West Brom exit to Millwall
Caleb Taylor admitted he knew his chance to break into Albion's senior ranks had gone by the time he made the switch to Millwall this summer.
Baggies academy graduate Taylor, 22, called time on 12 years at The Hawthorns during the summer as Championship rivals Millwall parted with around £2.5million for his services.
The giant centre-back was viewed as a top prospect for the Baggies during his way through the youth ranks and made his senior debut aged 18 in 2021 - but only went on to play 12 times for the first team.
Despite three loans away from Albion - Taylor especially impressed with Cheltenham and Wycombe in League One - no breakthrough into the starting ranks as a regular was forthcoming and it left the defender considering his options while desperate to become a first-team regular.
“I’m really happy with my time at West Brom,” Taylor said to Southwark News' News at Den. “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, it was at the start of a window, my eyes lit up, my family’s eyes lit up. My dad (former professional Martin) 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 was recalled from Wycombe by Albion in the new year to cover a defensive availability crisis which soon eased and left the defender kicking his heels once more. He later returned to Buckinghamshire in a situation he later described as an unusual one.
The centre-back was part of Ryan Mason's summer training camp in Austria and played against Derby in the EFL Cup in August as he pushed to impress the new Baggies head coach despite a strong chance he could move on as Millwall pushed for his signature.
Taylor was close friends with winger Tom Fellows as the pair progressed through the club's youth ranks together. Both departed the club this summer, six months after fellow academy graduate Alex Palmer was sold.
Clubs, including Albion, sell academy products as in accounting terms they can be booked as 100 per cent profit, which is a significant boost to remaining in lines with financial fair play regulations of profit and sustainability.
The new Millwall recruit was an unused substitute as his new side beat his boyhood club 3-0 at The Den last weekend. He has so far made two league substitute appearances and an EFL Cup start against Crystal Palace for his new side.
Taylor leaned on the advice of an Albion colleague while mulling his future in the summer.
“I spoke to Jed quite a lot because he was really helpful with me coming through the last few years,” Taylor said of Baggies captain Jed Wallace. “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 recognise 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.”