Shez fears for Taylor future

ATHLETIC manager John Sheridan has admitted he fears losing Chris Taylor during the January transfer window.

The Boundary Park club turned down substantial summer bids for their home-grown winger, whose form continues to bring talent scouts flooding in.

Taylor (21) is also Athletic’s top scorer this season and was one of the few shining lights as they lost to Cheltenham in the FA Cup last night.

He is under contract to the summer of 2010 but a number of teams in the Championship are watching his progress.

Sheridan said: “Chris is doing very well and he’ll go on to a higher level – if I was a manager somewhere else with money to spend, I would buy him.

“Hopefully he’ll play at a higher level for Oldham, but good luck to him because at the moment you know he’s going to play well in every game.

“It sounds like I’m trying to sell him, which I’m definitely not because he’s important to us, but he’s a very accomplished player.

“He’s playing very well and if he carries on performing like that we’ll lose him.

“He’s doing it every week, which is what other managers will be looking at, and it’s just the way he plays that impresses you.

“Like I said, I don’t want to lose Chris Taylor and I’m not trying to sell him, but he’s a good player with a good attitude.

“He comes in every day and trains like he wants to be a successful footballer – some of the other lads around his age don’t do that, they think they can have an off-day.

“They should be following his example because Chris is a 110-per-center in training and in games.”

Athletic sold Neal Trotman for £500,000 last January and have always insisted they will not under-value Taylor.

Meanwhile, Athletic centre-back Reuben Hazell will be hit with a one-match ban after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

Hazell was booked for a foul last night and, although he can play at Southend on Saturday, the 29-year-old will miss out at home to Walsall next Tuesday.

Forward Deane Smalley is doubtful for the weekend trip to Roots Hall after breaking down with a recurrence of his hip injury.

He passed a fitness test before last night’s game but had to be substituted during the first half.

Athletic full-back Neal Eardley is expected to be among the substitutes when Wales play a full international friendly in Denmark tonight.