Greg Taylor reveals one key difference he has noticed since leaving Celtic for Greek football

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Greg Taylor’s summer move to PAOK in Greece was a fascinating one.

The left-back, who signed for Celtic from Kilmarnock in 2019, departed in the summer as a different player to the one who initially made the move to sign for Neil Lennon.

Taylor had played as a midfielder at times in his teenage years, and this skillset proved hugely helpful in making the transition to an inverted role under Ange Postecoglou – one which became his own.

He continued as a regular starter under Brendan Rodgers, but with Kieran Tierney making his Celtic return from Arsenal, it felt like the right time to move on.

Now plying his trade in Greece, Taylor has revealed one instantly noticeable difference he has noticed in his new surroundings.

Greg Taylor on one key difference between football in Scotland and Greece

Taylor’s spell at Celtic was often marked by matches being selected for TV broadcast, often leading to early kick-offs.

READ MORE: What Ally McCoist and Jeff Stelling said about Brendan Rodgers for Nottingham Forest as Celtic icon nears job

A difference in temperature in Thessaloniki means a longer wait for PAOK action, and this is something which has stood out to the 27-year-old.

Speaking to the BBC Scotland panel after Scotland’s 2-0 win over Belarus on Monday, Taylor said: “The kick-offs are quite a bit later here, because of the temperature, so it’s getting a bit used to with that.

“The standard has actually been good. We’ve got a lot of good players, international players, and it’s been enjoyable.

“I think it’s important to get playing regularly out here, and hopefully if my form is good enough and I’m playing as regularly as I’d like, the national team stuff will take care of itself.”

Taylor will need his playing time to improve if he is to break into a national squad which is extremely competitive in his position.

Are Celtic dealing with the loss of Greg Taylor?

There is no debate that Kieran Tierney is an upgrade to Taylor on paper – he offers a level of pedigree which isn’t typically available to Celtic.

However, Tierney’s fitness struggles are continuing, impacting his playing time and forcing him to pull out of Steve Clarke’s national side.

Marcelo Saracchi has arrived on loan from Boca Juniors, but is still largely an unknown quantity. There is no denying that Taylor’s role was tactically important.

If the team can complete a transition to a new style of left-backs, then Taylor’s absence won’t be a talking point. But with several questions still to be answered, that isn’t the case just yet.