Former Bristol Rovers striker Matty Taylor has been reunited with Darrell Clarke at Port Vale, six years to the day since he made his highly controversial move from the Gas to Bristol City.
Taylor was a late deadline day arrival for Rovers’ League One rivals, with Clarke needing to bolster his forward line, as he has joined on loan from Oxford United until the end of the season.
The 32-year-old has experienced an underwhelming campaign in front of goal for the Us, with three goals in 22 league appearances, but will hope that Clarke can help him rediscover his best form as the pair worked together over two-and-a-half seasons in north Bristol.
Taylor’s departure from the Kassam Stadium followed the arrival of another striker with Rovers links as Tyler Smith moved to Oxford on loan from Hull City.
"I have worked with Matty before and know the quality he brings, he’ll give us another dynamic in our forward line,” Clarke said. “We are delighted to get this one over the line; we have been working really hard on this one late into deadline day and I’d like to thank Colin Garlick and Jess Frost in our Football Administration team for their work on the deal this evening.”
Taylor enjoyed the most prolific and impressive time of his career under Clarke’s management as he scored 68 goals in 134 games in blue and white to help fire the Gas from the Conference Premier into League One before being sold in controversial circumstances to City on deadline day in 2017, as they paid just £300,000 to activate a release clause in his contract.
With Rovers eighth in League One at the time, three points outside the top six, and Clarke confident of a late run at the play-offs, Taylor’s exit deprived the manager of his best source of goals and the Gas slipped down the table to finish 10th.
Taylor is Vale’s second signing of the January window after Clarke also brought in left-sided defender Aaron Donnelly on loan from Nottingham Forest. Rovers play Vale in League One on April 22 having beaten Clarke's side 1-0 at the Mem in December.
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