Stevenage have beaten several EFL sides, including Championship side Swansea City, to the signing of Sutton United defender Jack Taylor.
League One rivals Barnsley were another side rumoured to be in the race for the non-league academy product. But the Boro have landed the 6’4″ centre-half on a five-figure fee from the fifth-tier outfit.
Not to be confused with the Republic of Ireland international who shares the same name, or his former Sutton teammate Jake, Jack Taylor has made strides in the National League with Sutton this term.
Regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the division, he has starred despite the U’s struggles at the wrong end of the table.
Taylor’s rapid rise has caught most by surprise. Playing for Sutton’s academy side in the 22/23 campaign, loan spells at Burgess Hill Town and Hornchurch showcased his talents at senior level. He was rewarded by signing his first professional deal in February 2024, continuing his progress with two League Two appearances that season.
Such were his performances in the following campaign, on loan at Hampton & Richmond Borough, that Taylor was recalled early by Sutton. After an ever-present first-half of the campaign in the sixth-tier, he added 16 games with the U’s last term. Having barely missed a minute in the first half of the campaign, taking his appearance tally to 45 at the VBS Community Stadium, he has been absent for the first three games in 2026.
Strengthening The Best Defence In The League
Stevenage are hardly an unknown quantity in League One these days. Those familiar with the division know what you are going to get when facing the Boro, and their defensive solidity has hardly altered since winning promotion to this level in 2023.
They have put up some of the best defensive numbers in the division in the past two and a half seasons. In their first campaign back at this level, with contentious figure Steve Evans in charge, they narrowly missed out on the Play-Off places with the fourth-best defensive record in the third tier.
After Alex Revell took over, only seven sides bettered their record of 50 goals against, despite a 14th-place finish last term. This season, they have conceded the fewest goals in League One. shipping only 24 times in 27 matches. That is two better than any other third-tier outfit, and only league leaders Cardiff City have kept more clean sheets, with Filip Marshall keeping ten this term.
This is all no surprise when you look at the calibre of players that Boro possess in their backline. Charlie Goode and Carl Piergianni have formed an excellent partnership at the heart of Stevenage’s defence, rivalling any third-tier side. Luther James-Wildin, who has missed the last three matches, and Lewis Freestone have solidified the back four on either flank.
Taylor will have no shortage of players to learn from at the Lamex Stadium, alongside his new gaffer, Revell.