When a modern day, Premier League legend signs an u-21 defender twice in the space of two seasons, it shows that he has immense quality. Burnley boss, Vincent Kompany, signed Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan for Anderlecht last season and secured his signature again after taking over as the Clarets boss. The result of this signing has been positive more than anything else. The 20-year-old has played every minute of the club’s first 10 games in the Championship, scoring his first goal for the club against Preston recently.
At 20-years-old, many youngsters would ordinarily be playing bit-part roles but Taylor has developed over the last few years and has become increasingly confident. Like Kompany, the England youth international is very hardworking and comfortable on the ball. His spell in the championship is part of Kompany’s plans to create a Burnley team that reflects his identity as a manager. Taylor’s development under the tutelage of the former Manchester City captain could prepare him for a future in the club’s first team in the not-so-distant future.
Recent comments by Vincent Kompany show his belief in the talents and qualities of Harwood-Bellis. He further pointed out that his leadership and mental toughness will be crucial to his development over the next three years. He went further to praise the youngster’s consistency in performance, stating that he can only get better since his best and worst performances are okay.
“I’ve known Taylor for a long time, and for what everyone can see on the ball or what everyone can see when he goes into his challenges, I think his biggest quality, that is perhaps more difficult to see on the eye, is his leadership and his incredible drive and high standards,” said Kompany. “These sorts of players you can almost be certain are going to improve. Usually when a talent goes wrong it’s because there’s something mentally not right. With him he’s got more than anyone else. Wherever he is now, in two or three years time he will be a lot better.
“The difference between a young player and an experienced player is usually the amount of consistency you can get in your performances. At his age to start building a consistency of good games, and I think it’s for the first time in his career, where his best performances are very good and his worst are okay, at this age that’s something that will give him a lot of confidence for the next few years. That’s how you become a centre-half that teams can trust.”
20-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis is seemingly destined for top-flight football with the best of the best. His talents have been on display recently, leaving people expecting more as he continues to develop. In a developing football environment where talent sometimes fails, his leadership and mental strength will count as he develops into a top-class center-back.
