An immediate starlet or a touch of succession planning? In from Sutton United during January 2026 was defender Jack Taylor; a tall 20-year-old with a touch of the big, strong, and physical about him. At the time, Taylor had started to make a name for himself in the National League. And so Boro’s eye for the next big thing prompted us to swoop in and get him in. The deal was a permanent one, the expectations…? To be confirmed. As we say, the defender could have arrived with his wits about him already. But the other theory was that our older defenders would, at some point, need an upgrade.

In our description of the player upon his arrival, it’s said we’d been on his tails for the duration of the 2025-26 campaign. What to expect? Versatility for a start, which is definitely a boon these days. Next? Well, it’s  his “intelligence, composure and aerial dominance”. That all sounds promising enough. It’s certainly not a description you’d give to a carthorse or one of those mass murderer types. The big indicator, however, would be how long it’d take Taylor to make himself known in a Boro’ shirt. And whether the days of more senior defenders in the squad were to be numbered.

Jack Taylor: Before Boro’

Taylor is the product of the Us academy; turning pro at the club in February 2024. His senior experience leading up to an initial outing in the National League came with loan spells – as is often the case. Burgess Hill Town, Hornchurch, and Alan Julian‘s Hampton & Richmond Borough are all staging posts on the player’s development trail. But it prepped him well, to be fair. By the end of the 2024-25 season, he was a regular fixture in the Sutton defence. And his continued trajectory at the club had Boro’ interested enough to dive in to snap him up and make him our own.