Phil Parkinson’s Black Cats are desperate for League One promotion but could Andrew Taylor take Bailey Wright’s place at the Stadium of Light?
Sunderland are considering a move to bring Andrew Taylor out of retirement after losing Preston loanee Bailey Wright to a potential season-ending injury, according to the Northern Echo.
And we thought Black Cats were supposed to be lucky.
Wright only arrived at the Stadium of Light in January but, after helping Phil Parkinson’s side keep four clean sheets in his first five games, we might have already seen the last of an Australian powerhouse in red and white.
The 27-year-old has suffered ankle ligament damage, leaving a Sunderland side now just three points off the top of the table concerned about a lack of cover at centre-half.
That explains why, according to the Echo, they are considering taking the unusual route of bringing a 33-year-old out of retirement while handing him a short-term deal until the end of the season.
Taylor joined Sunderland’s coaching staff two months ago, reuniting with his former Bolton Wanderers boss Parkinson on Wearside, but it seems that the Black Cats could make use out of his defensive ability, as well as his sharp tactical mind.
“He has a lot of experience playing at all levels, he’s very intelligent, understands the game, and he will be a good asset for us,” Parkinson told the Chronicle in December.
The former Middlesbrough hero, a star of that thrilling run to the UEFA Cup final in 2006, made his last appearance in professional football some nine months ago during Bolton’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2018/19 Championship campaign.
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