Greg Taylor has admitted he would be "open" to a return to Celtic, but insists his immediate priority is achieving success with PAOK in Greece. The 28-year-old left-back left Celtic last summer after six trophy-laden years to join the Greek side.
Taylor's stance on Celtic return
Speaking on Charlie Mulgrew's 'Pitch to Par' show, Taylor was asked whether he would consider returning to Scotland. He replied: "I think I'd be open to everything. I've got two years left on my contract in Greece, I'd love to be a success out there. But if that didn't materialise, I'd be open to anything. I've moved abroad now, I've enjoyed that aspect of it."
Taylor added: "I loved playing in Scotland. So honestly, who knows in a career? You know it can change like that, both ways. But I would love to make a success of it in Greece and see where that takes me."
When pressed specifically on a return to Celtic, Taylor said: "In football, you never say never with anything. Celtic's an amazing club, but I've got two years left at PAOK, and I want to make that be a success there. But who knows. I would never say no to anything. I would be open to everything."
Impact of Kieran Tierney's return
Taylor's departure from Celtic last summer followed Kieran Tierney's pre-contract agreement to return to the club from Arsenal. The Scotland international admitted that Tierney's return factored into his decision to leave, but revealed that Celtic did not formally offer him a contract extension.
He explained: "I think in the ideal scenario, if you knew you were probably going to be as much of a mainstay as you'd been before. That was my big thing, I was desperate to still be a main voice, a main player. I felt like that's what I'd been and I'd done that and I'd obviously knew Kieran was coming back, which made that a wee bit more difficult."
Taylor continued: "Of course, you never know what could have happened if you stayed and you fight. So just with that, I just felt that it was maybe the time to try something different. I was at an age that, if I didn't move on, I was never going to."
He added: "There were talks. I don't think there was ever actually anything on the table. And then, probably mutually, we just both agreed that it was the right time."
Celtic's left-back situation
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill is reportedly on the lookout for a new left-back to compete with Tierney next season. Former loanee Marcelo Saracchi has yet to finalise a permanent move from Boca Juniors, leaving a potential vacancy. Taylor, despite struggling for regular game time at PAOK last term, is in no rush to leave the Greek club.
