GREG Taylor is determined to use his exploits with the Scotland international squad as a catalyst for an upturn in his club fortunes with Celtic.
The former Kilmarnock full back is in the rare position of having played more for his country than he has for his club, having played just one match for the Parkhead side since concluding a deadline day £1.8m move from Rugby Park.
By contrast, Taylor has performed admirably for his country in place of the absent Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney twice now in away matches against Belgium and Cyprus, getting a priceless assist for John McGinn’s winner at the GSP stadium on Saturday.
Likely to get his first nod from his old gaffer Steve Clarke for a match at Hampden against Kazakhstan on Tuesday night, Taylor hopes the form can catch Neil Lennon’s eye at Celtic, where he has largely played second fiddle to Boli Bolingoli this season.
“If you do something here, it maybe makes your club manager take notice,” said Taylor. “Hopefully I did that against Cyprus with getting the assist and he knows that he can trust me when we go back to the club. Hopefully I can kick on from there.
“Trust is a massive thing in football and the gaffer here has that in me,” added the 23-year-old. “I’ve maybe not had the chance yet at Celtic as much as I’d have liked, it’s one of these things But I love working with the gaffer here. He has been brilliant for my career. Every time I come away, I’m always hoping to get a chance.”
While Taylor praised his captain for the support he gives him in training, the Liverpool man is still absent in midweek and the understudy is desperate to make his maiden Hampden bow even if his squad place would be in jeopardy if both of Scotland's superstar left backs return.
“I don’t pick the team but I’d love to play again on Tuesday,” said Taylor. “Playing for Scotland is a massive honour, I love it every time I come away whether I am playing or not.
“If I get the chance to feature again on Tuesday I would be really grateful. My two caps so far have been away from home so it would be nice to get on at Hampden. I’ve actually never played at Hampden, not even at youth level.
“I have been on the bench a few times but not come onto the pitch. It would be great to make my debut there on Tuesday.
“We can go into that game on the back of two positive wins. Getting another one going into March would be massive because what a chance we have got.
“The boys are slowly but surely getting there. We are building. If we can manage to get another win on Tuesday it would put us in a great position going into March.”
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