Charlton striker Lyle Taylor: Karlan Grant has potential to win England honours

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Lyle Taylor reckons Karlan Grant has a chance of becoming an England international – and says no-one can blame the striker for swapping Charlton for Huddersfield Town.

The 21-year-old forward joined the Terriers at the end of the January transfer window.

Grant made his debut as an early sub in a 5-0 defeat at Chelsea and followed up by being introduced for the final seven minutes of a 2-1 home loss to Arsenal.

“I knew it [a move] was going to happen from December,” said Taylor. “I was told about it by an external source.

“It’s the Premier League. I meant no disrespect to Charlton fans when I put that on my Instagram [that Grant could not turn down the opportunity]. It’s the Premier League, regardless of whichever club it is. We grow up, work hard and train for years for an opportunity on the biggest stage.

“The biggest stage, club football wise, is the Champions League. The biggest league in the world is the Premier League. He’s gone to the Premier League. Fair enough it is Huddersfield – they’ve got an uphill fight to stay there – but if he scores four or five goals, then who knows? There could be another move in the summer, maybe. Anything could happen.

“I’d back him to do that. He’s a very talented boy. I hope he goes and smashes it and one day I see him playing in an England shirt. It would be a massive credit to what everyone has done here – from the academy, with Steve Avory, to Karl Robinson, Harry Kewell and what Bow has done this year.

“If that happens, I’ll be proud to have played a part in his career.”

Are England honours a realistic target?

“He’s a way away from it at the moment,” said Taylor, a Montserrat international. “But has he got similar attributes to somebody like Jamie Vardy? Yes. He’s not as much of a problem to play against as Vardy is – physically he puts himself about.

“Karlan has got the raw ability and attributes to go and do whatever he wants. I don’t think there are any players in this country who could live with him for pace. He can put the ball in the back of the net, as he’s proven.

He knows how to finish and the kids even scores headers. He has a lot to work on because the standard will be better, but I have every confidence that he’ll be able to do it.

For his age – 21 – he is one of the best players I’ve seen – tactically and technically. And he does his job, which is to score goals.

“I’ve played up front with some good forwards – Bayo [Akinfenwa] and Tom Elliott. We complemented each other and worked well together. But Karlan, for me, is a different kettle of fish in comparison to them. They were grown men, seasoned professionals.

Karlan is a young boy. He has got more ability than a lot of players I’ve seen. There are a lot of players here who have got much more ability than players I’ve played with – the likes of Joe Aribo, for his age, I’ve not seen anyone better as a central midfielder or attacking midfielder.

“You’d be hard pushed to find a player of his age in the country who has done what Karlan has done, regardless of whether it’s in League One or not.”