Prolific Taylor feels the next step is the Championship after returning to Luton

Luton striker Joe Taylor feels he is ready for the Championship after a prolific 2023-24 season in the third and fourth tiers of English football.

Having signed for the Hatters from Peterborough United in January 2023, Taylor made six appearances as Town reached the Premier League, holding his nerve to score from the spot in the play-off final win over Coventry City at Wembley. The 21-year-old was then loaned to League Two side Colchester United in the summer, as he netted 11 goals in 25 league games for the U's, a tally that was still enough to see him finish as the club’s leading scorer in May, despite being recalled by Luton in January.

Taylor was then sent to League One side Lincoln City, where he managed to find the net 10 times in 19 outings, also finishing as the leading marksman with the Imps too. It meant he ended up with 22 goals from 46 matches in all competitions, as the young forward was back at the Brache earlier this week for pre-season training, and will now surely be an option for Luton boss Rob Edwards as the Hatters embark on their Championship campaign this year.

It’s a level that Taylor feels ready for as well, as speaking to the club’s official website, he said: "They (loan moves away) were really important, it was a really good experience for me getting to experience both leagues. I think naturally for me now the next step is the Championship but to experience both League One and League Two was really beneficial.”

Having been playing with King's Lynn Town and Wroxham before getting his chance with the Posh in 2021, then discussing his last two seasons with SportsBoom.com, Taylor continued: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind these last 18-24 months to be honest. It’s been a bit of a mad one, but I’ve always been a confident person and believed in my ability, even with the setbacks that I’ve had during my career.

"I was released from Norwich City when I was 15 and told that I wasn’t good enough. Then I was released from King’s Lynn (Town) when I was 17. But I’ve always been confident, I’ve always believed that if I get my head down, knuckle down and keep working hard and doing what I’m good at, then eventually someone will take a punt. Then it’s about whether I take it (the opportunity) or not.”

Having had some time off to recharge after a first full season of senior professional football, Taylor was eager to put the hard work in when linking back up with his Luton team-mates, saying: “It (summer break) was lovely, albeit a bit shorter than I'm used to, but it was really good to rest, recover, enjoy yourself. In there somewhere was a little bit of prep to come back for pre-season, I think you have to. When you come back, you tend to have screening on the first day and running tests on the grass, so your off season work is important to come back as fit as you can.”

On what he expects over the next few weeks before the campaign kicks off in August, Taylor added: “We're all going to work hard to give ourselves the best platform going into the season. It’s good, it’s tough, but it’s enjoyable at the same time. We're going to have a good blow out these first two weeks, then we've got the trip to Slovenia which will be tough with a few games in amongst that as well. The camp is positive and we're just now getting pre-season out of the way and then getting into the season.”