Blues boss Kieran McKenna hopes young forward Tommy Taylor being a part of the senior squad for Monday night’s FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest will make him hungrier to keep progressing.

Chelmsford-born Taylor, 19, has been with the academy since he was a 10-year-old and signed a pro deal in October 2023, which is up this summer.

Having been the standout performer in John McGreal’s U21s side, usually playing in a number 10 role, despite physically having the build of a number nine, the versatile Taylor was included as a sub at the City Ground on Monday night.

“We feel like out of that group, he was the one who, I’m not going to say deserved it because it's a group that all work very hard in their own ways, but he's performed well, he's trained well when he comes with us in training, he's a good young professional and a good goalscorer as well at the level.

“It was good to have him with us the other night. We would have loved for it to have been a really special night for him and it almost was, even though he didn't get on the pitch.

“But if he had been around a winning team of an FA Cup last 16 tie in a shootout, it would have been a great night for him.

“But I'm sure he learned a lot from being around a game like that and a pressurised situation like that, and I'm sure it'll make him hungrier to keep progressing.”

Photo: Matchday Images

PortmanTerrorist added 17:47 - Mar 6 However hard this season is, we must make room and create a pathway for the Academy lads if they are good enough. Our bench has been so weak at times lately you do wonder if it would have hurt us to have given him a few minutes....you never know what young lads are capable of until you expose them to the level.
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armchaircritic59 added 00:48 - Mar 7 Very true PortmanTerrorist, I've seen youngsters who have been highly rated before making the first team, suddenly become shrinking violets when they get there, and lesser thought of youngsters just blossom if given the chance. You just never know until they are given the chance. One of my big tests to see if a youngster has " got what it takes " when getting a first team chance is do they show for and demand the ball, or do they hide? Hopefully one day reasonably soon, we'll become a breeding ground for talented young players just like we did decades ago.

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Tractor_Boy_in_HK added 05:59 - Mar 7 Well, 'if they are good enough' is the key phrase, and sadly for many years now they haven't been. I hope it's being corrected, but we rested on our laurels for far too long and the youth academy rotted. We as a club have to rely on a pipeline of cheap young talent in order to have long term success. Luke W is the only academy player in the first team (I can't count Harry Clarke since he left and we paid a fee to get him back). That's abysmal.

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