MATTY Taylor has already experienced one Oxford United play-off success – and now he wants to fire his home town club to another promotion.

The striker from Kidlington attended the 2010 Blue Square Premier play-off final at Wembley alongside 33,000 other U’s supporters as they watched their side beat York City 3-1 to return to the Football League.

Taylor, then aged 20, had been released by United a year earlier and was playing for North Leigh as he began to work his way back up the pyramid.

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Having eventually rejoined the U’s in 2019, initially on loan from Bristol City, he was part of the side that lost last year’s Sky Bet League One play-off final to Wycombe Wanderers.

The 31-year-old scored against Burton Albion on Sunday as United leapfrogged Portsmouth to clinch their second successive top-six finish, setting up a semi-final with Blackpool next week.

Taylor knows how fondly U’s fans hold the memories of 2010 and reflected on his journey from that game, which was 11 years ago this Sunday.

He said: “It is a bit surreal.

“I probably wouldn’t have thought I’d be in this position back then.

“I was the fan in the pub.

“I think that’s why it would be so special for me to be on the flip side and help get the team promoted on the pitch, knowing how fond my memories of the day still are.

“It was such a good day from start to finish, not only the game – I barely remember the goals to be honest.

“Those memories go down in history.

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“It would mean a lot to me, my family and my mates to be on the playing side.

“If I scored the winning goal that would be literally unbelievable.”

Taylor revealed last season’s play-off final defeat fuelled the fire when he sealed his permanent return to United last summer.

He said at the time: “It just felt, especially for the whole group of lads and the whole club, it was going to happen and we deserved it from our efforts all season.

“Something in me wanted to hopefully put right what happened in the final.

“I’d like nothing more than to get promoted with my home town club.”