Taylor Allen

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Taylor Allen

| image =

| caption =

| full_name = Taylor Ellis Allen{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201920/general-news/efl-squad-numbering-06.09.2019.pdf |title=Notification of shirt numbers: Forest Green Rovers |publisher=English Football League |page=28 |accessdate=20 October 2019}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|6|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Walsall, England

| height =

| position = Defender, midfielder

| currentclub = Walsall

| clubnumber = 21

| years1 = 2018–2019

| clubs1 = Romulus

| caps1 = 35

| goals1 = 5

| years2 = 2019

| clubs2 = Nuneaton Borough

| caps2 = 16

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2019–2022

| clubs3 = Forest Green Rovers

| caps3 = 14

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2019–2020

| clubs4 = → Hereford (loan)

| caps4 = 8

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2020

| clubs5 = → Gloucester City (loan)

| caps5 = 6

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2020–21

| clubs6 = → Leamington (loan)

| caps6 = 8

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2022–

| clubs7 = Walsall

| caps7 = 81

| goals7 = 9

| club-update = 13:23, 16 December 2024 (UTC)

}}

Taylor Ellis Allen (born 16 June 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for {{English football updater|Walsall}} club Walsall.

Career

Allen began his career at Midland Football League side Romulus while completing an apprenticeship as a sports coach.[https://www.hoet.co.uk/2019/03/08/the-apprenticeship-journey-taylor-allen/ The Apprenticeship Journey – Taylor Allen] Allen joined Nuneaton Borough in January 2019, winning man of the match on his National League North debut, before having a trial with Leicester City in March, where he played for the under-23 team in Premier League 2. Allen turned down offers from English Premier League clubs to sign for Forest Green Rovers in summer 2019 on a one-year deal. He made his EFL League Two debut as a substitute against Oldham Athletic on 3 August 2019, scoring the only goal of the game in the 72nd minute.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49135877 Forest Green Rovers 1–0 Oldham Athletic]

Taylor joined National League North side Hereford on 25 October 2019 on a one month loan, with the loan being extended on 27 November 2019 for a further month.{{Cite web|url=http://bullsnews.blogspot.com/2019/11/taylor-allens-loan-extended.html|title=Bulls News: Taylor Allen's Loan Extended|last=Bull|first=Organic|date=27 November 2019|website=Bulls News|access-date=28 November 2019}}

Taylor then joined Gloucester City on loan for an initial month.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gloucestercityafc.com/taylor-allen-joins-on-loan/|title=Gloucester City AFC: Taylor Allen joins on loan|date=24 January 2020}}

On 2 December 2020, Allen joined Leamington on an initial one-month loan deal.{{cite web |url=https://www.leamingtonfc.co.uk/index.php/component/content/article/11-news2/1612-forest-green-rovers-youngster-checks-in-on-loan?Itemid=355 |title=Forest Green Rovers youngster checks in on loan |publisher=Leamington FC |date=2 December 2020 |accessdate=9 February 2021}} The loan was then extended for a further month.{{cite web |url= https://www.leamingtonfc.co.uk/index.php/commercial/advertising/11-news2/1633-forest-green-youngster-allen-extends-loan-spell |title=Forest Green youngster extends loan spell |publisher=Leamington FC |date=28 December 2020 |accessdate=9 February 2021}} On 9 February 2021, the loan was further extended for an additional month.{{cite web |url=https://nonleaguedaily.com/forest-green-forward-allen-extends-leamington-loan/# |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209144925/https://nonleaguedaily.com/forest-green-forward-allen-extends-leamington-loan/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=9 February 2021 |title=Forest Green forward Allen extends Leamington loan |publisher=Nonleaguedaily.com |date=9 February 2021 |accessdate=9 February 2021}}

On 20 June 2022, Allen agreed to join League Two club Walsall on a one-year contract from 1 July when his Forest Green contract were to expire.{{cite web|url=https://www.saddlers.co.uk/news/2022/june/taylor-allen-joins-walsall/|title=Taylor Allen joins Walsall|website=www.saddlers.co.uk|date=20 June 2022|accessdate=20 June 2022}} He signed a contract extension at the end of the 2023 season.

Allen scored his first Walsall goal in a 3–1 win over Wrexham on 29 December 2023{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67798646#:~:text=Top%20Scorers-,Walsall%203%2D1%20Wrexham%20%2D%20Wrexham%20end%202023,with%20heavy%20defeat%20at%20Walsall&text=Wrexham%20dropped%20down%20to%20third,lead%20before%20Paul%20Mullin%20levelled.|title=Walsall 3-1 Wrexham - Wrexham end 2023 with heavy defeat at Walsall|website=BBC Sport|date=29 December 2023|accessdate=22 September 2024}} and captained the club for the first time in a 3–0 win over Morecambe. He signed a further extension to 2026 at the end of the 2024 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9900reexp7o#:~:text=Defender%20Taylor%20Allen%20has%20signed,to%20run%20out%20next%20summer.|title=Walsall defender Allen signs contract extension

|website=BBC Sport|date=5 August 2024|accessdate=22 September 2024}} He made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Walsall in a 2–1 loss to Colchester on 8 February 2025 in a match where he also received a red card. After the match he apologised to Walsall fans for this.{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2025/02/09/taylor-allen-issues-apology-after-seeing-red-on-walsall-milestone/|title=Taylor Allen issues apology after seeing red on Walsall milestone

|website=Express and Star|date=9 February 2025|accessdate=23 February 2025}} At the end of the season he was named Walsall Player of the Season for 2024–25{{cite web|url=https://www.saddlers.co.uk/news/2025/may/06/end-of-season-awards-round-up/|title=End of Season Awards round-up|website=www.saddlers.co.uk|date=6 May 2025|accessdate=7 May 2025}} after a 4th place finish and 17 goal contributions. Alongside teammate Connor Barrett he was named into the EFL League Two Team of the Season.{{cite web|url=https://www.efl.com/news/2025/april/27/see-who-made-the-efl-team-of-the-season-line-ups/|title=See who made the EFL Team of the Season line-ups

|website=EFL|accessdate=10 May 2025}}

Career statistics

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|FA Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Romulus \|2018–19 \|MFL Premier Division \|colspan="10"\|No data currently available
Nuneaton Borough \|2018–19{{soccerway\|taylor--allen/592953\|accessdate=4 March 2021}} \|National League North \|16	2	0	0	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	16	2
rowspan="4"\|Forest Green Rovers \|2019–20{{soccerbase season\|118344\|2019\|access-date=4 March 2021}} \|EFL League Two \|5	1	0	0	2	0	1{{efn\|name=FLT\|Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy}}	0	8	1
2020–21{{soccerbase season\|118344\|2020\|access-date=4 March 2021}} \|EFL League Two \|5	0	0	0	0	0	3{{efn\|name=FLT}}	0	8	0
2021–22{{soccerbase season\|118344\|2021\|accessdate=20 June 2022}} \|EFL League Two \|4	0	0	0	1	0	4{{efn\|name=FLT}}	0	9	0
colspan="2"\|Total !14	1	0	0	3	0	8	0	25	1
Hereford (loan) \|2019–20 \|National League North \|8	1	0	0	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	8	1
Gloucester City (loan) \|2019–20 \|National League North \|6	0	0	0	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	6	0
Leamington (loan) \|2020–21 \|National League North \|8	1	0	0	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	8	1
rowspan="4" \|Walsall \|2022–23{{Soccerbase season\|id=118344\|season=2022}} \|EFL League Two \|22	0	3	0	1	0	3{{Efn\|name=FLT}}	0	29	0
2023–24{{Soccerbase season\|id=118344\|season=2023}} \|EFL League Two \|28	3	1	0	1	0	3{{Efn\|name=FLT}}	0	33	3
2024–25{{Soccerbase season\|id=118344\|season=2024}} \|EFL League Two \|45	10	2	0	3	0	7{{efn\|Four appearances in Football League Trophy, three appearances and one goal in EFL League Two play-offs}}	1	57	11
colspan="2"\|Total !95	13	6	0	5	0	13	1	119	14
colspan="3"\|Career total !147	18	6	0	8	0	21	1	182	19

Honours

Forest Green Rovers

EFL League Two: 2021–22 {{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61281130|title=Mansfield Town 2–2 Forest Green Rovers: Draw seals title for Rovers|publisher=BBC Sport|date=7 May 2022|accessdate=20 June 2022}}

Individual

Walsall Player of the Season: 2024–25
EFL League Two Team of the Season: 2024–25{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c985rrjgy7yo |title=Burnley's Parker and Blades' Hamer win EFL awards |first=Ben |last=Ashton |website=BBC Sport |date=27 April 2025 |access-date=28 April 2025}}