Gary Naysmith has backed familiar face Ross Taylor to continue his progress after sealing a move to Ayr United. The winger has become the second signing of the summer for new Ayr boss Naysmith, who knows plenty about the talented attacker.
A Quick Decision
Ross Taylor took just 15 minutes to convince Gary Naysmith he was a player worth signing. It was one low-key scouting mission the new Ayr gaffer will never forget – and likely never regret. Now the inseparable pair are looking to take the Championship by storm after reuniting at Somerset Park.
Naysmith has quickly returned to Stenhousemuir to bring star winger Taylor down the road with him, after Ayr agreed an undisclosed fee with the Warriors. After 18 goals last term, plenty of suitors were beating a path to Ochilview. But Naysmith, who took a chance on Taylor when plucking him from Auchinleck Talbot three years ago, was always likely to win the day.
A Throwback Player
He told the Ayrshire Post: "Ross is a real throwback and I think he'll get fans on the edge of their seats here. His only thought is to get the ball and go at players. He's always trying to make things happen. When we were first tipped off about him at Stenny, he was just a young lad playing with Talbot. My analyst Jammy (James McFarlane) managed to pull together a few clips from YouTube and I definitely thought he was worth a look. So I headed down to watch him against Darvel and within 15 minutes turned to my son and said... I've seen enough. He proved a great signing for us and I'm delighted to get him down here because he had plenty of options after last season."
Taylor's 18 goals – he was the Warriors' top scorer – made him a standout in their promotion-winning side and earned him a place in the League One Team of the Year.
Potential to Flourish
Naysmith added: "We have to be mindful of the progress he's made in a short space of time. But he's got real potential to flourish at this level and kick on again – I fully believe that. Ross has got the natural attributes that you want as a winger and is also a great finisher as his return last season showed. He can go inside and out and as a full back I know only too well how hard that is to play against."
Taylor, 22, added: "I've got a lot to thank the gaffer and Brown [Ferguson] for because they saw the potential in me at Talbot and gave me the platform at Stenny. I back myself and my ability but you'll always have something to prove to people. I believe that I'm good enough to play at this level – I know it's going to be a step up but I just need to hit the ground running and I'll do that. As much as I loved my time at Stenny, as soon as I heard about Ayr's interest I knew I wanted to come here as it's a great move. I'm very confident about the project here and Reece [Lyon] is a very good signing to make straight away. He's an excellent midfielder who was always one of the standouts on the pitch whenever I played against him last season. You can clearly see the ambition of the club and it really looks like they want to go places so it's an exciting move."
