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Taylor: It Would Be a Special Moment If It Happens - Ipswich Town News

Town midfielder Jack Taylor admitted it would be a dream come true to play in the Premier League, but is not getting carried away ahead of a busy week with two big matches still to play.

The Blues are currently third in the Championship table, level on points with Leeds United ahead of their game in hand this evening away at Coventry City.

Four points from the trip to the West Midlands and Saturday’s home game with all-but-relegated Huddersfield Town will guarantee the Blues a top-flight return for the first time in 22 years.

Asked whether playing in the promised land would fulfil a childhood dream, Taylor said: "It would, but you can’t get carried away because you’ve seen in the past where it can affect teams mentally. We’re bang on it and back in training today and we’ll be ready for Tuesday night.

"We know what’s on the line and we’re going to go for the win like we have all season, whether it’s away at Elland Road [lost 4-0 at Leeds United] which didn’t work out like we wanted it to.

"We’ve gone into every game wanting to win, not trying to get a point. As long as we stick to our system and principles, I think we’ll get the job done.”

Taylor knows that the Blues have their destiny is in their own hands with the finish line in sight and has dared to dream about the prospect of the club achieving back-to-back promotions come Saturday afternoon without worrying about events elsewhere.

He said: "It’s that stage of the season where it is in our own hands, it’s not like we have five games to go and we need a certain amount of wins – it’s down to two.

"We can’t really afford to lose, but we’re going to go into both games wanting to win and end on however many points that leaves us on. It’s a special group of special players and we’re so looking forward to playing.

"It would obviously be special and it’s probably worked out better. Rather than sealing the deal away at Coventry, we can do it at home in front of our supporters that have been with us all season.

"It would be special, but we’ve got to stay level-headed and we know we’ve got a very important game on Tuesday.”

The Premier League is considered by many to be football’s elite competition and Taylor is no different, describing the top flight as a special place to be a part of.

"As a boy growing up I didn’t watch a lot of Championship or League One football,” he said. "It was always the Premier League.

"Looking at the stadiums you’re playing in against the players and the support that the teams get, it’s the biggest stage in the world.

"It will be a special moment if and when it does happen, but we’re all just really focused on getting the job done and getting the three points on Tuesday.”

With the end goal so close, supporters have been feeling stressful and anxious about the prospect of such important matches at the business end of the season.

However, while Taylor feels the same as a spectator, he admitted that tension goes away when he steps onto the pitch and focuses on the task at hand.

"It’s stressful when you’re watching from the sidelines waiting to come on, but once you’re on you don’t feel any sort of pressure,” he said.

"We know each other’s individual jobs and what we can do and bring to the game, whether we need a goal or need to see it out.

"Unfortunately, we couldn’t the other day [against Hull City] but it’s another big game on Tuesday so no matter how the game plays out we know we need to do.”

Since arriving as one of League One’s hottest prospects from Peterborough United in a £1.5million deal last summer, Taylor has applied himself as a valued member of the Blues first team this campaign.

While not being a regular starter with only seven league starts to his name, the Londoner has featured in 31 of the Blues’ 44 matches in the Championship this season, having missed six games in February through injury.

Taylor summed up his first season in Suffolk as a promising one, despite understandably wishing he had started more games in the Blues’ midfield.

He said: "It’s been a bit of a strange one, to be honest. Obviously the team has done so well and I feel like I’ve made an impact when I’ve needed to.

"I am happy with how it’s gone, but obviously you can always go better. The position we’re in now, I’m just going to do whatever I can to make an impact and try and make special moments.”

He added: "You know when you’re coming into a game like the other night when it was 3-2, it was about trying to be clever and try and get hold of the game again because it was getting like a basketball game.

"The subs that Hull made were attacking so it was about trying to get control back into the game, which I thought I brought. I came on in more of an attacking position, which I’m used to having played there most of last season.

"I thought I did well, but every game is different and you’ve got to come on and adjust as quick as you can because the speed of the game is either really quick like the other night and sometimes you need to slow it down.”

Asked if he feels Town have seen the best of him, Taylor responded: "Personally, no. I think I’ve shown it in spells but probably not consistently. I feel like I’ve got so much more to give.”

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