Ex-Celtic star lauded as 'super player' after new club debut
He made his debut for PAOK in a 2-1 defeat to Ajax at the Dutch club's academy at De Toekomst in a friendly, along with former Celtic loan colleague Jonjoe Kenny, who also joined PAOK this summer from Hertha Berlin.
And his performance impressed the club's Romanian manager, Razvan Lucescu, son of legendary veteran boss Mircea.
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He said: "Greg Taylor is just a super player and we also have Jonjoe Kenny, who showed a lot of intensity and energy.
"They both showed they will be very comfortable in our team and both already looked at home.
"Both of them have fitted in well to the team and I am happy with their preparations for our first game of the season.
"There is still a lot of work to be done to prepare, but I am very pleased with the way the players have adapted to their new club. They will be big players for us this season."
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The National
16 minutes ago
- The National
SWPL upheaval gives Hibs chance to do what other champions couldn't
Fewer still would expect them to go and successfully defend it. Which will all be fuel for Grant Scott's pre-season team talk, of course. No-one has successfully claimed back-to-back titles across recent seasons. Malky Thomson delivered a title to Rangers four years ago before Glasgow City nicked it back off them the following year. Then it was Celtic's turn and now Hibs. It does, of course, point to genuine competition within the top flight but would also indicate a different kind of pressure when it comes to winning a league and then playing with a target on your back. None of which will be news to the vastly experienced Scott or Joelle Murray in at Hibs. They have tweaked and added to their squad and will be tested to the max from the off this term as they juggle the duel demands of Champions League football and domestic action. It was a weight that proved utterly debilitating to Celtic last term as they competed on a duel front. But the most significant aspect this summer has been the languid manner in which the likes of Celtic and Rangers have gone about the business of building a team capable of challenging for the title. There is yet to be a replacement introduced for Jo Potter – and with the new season just 22 days away that looks increasingly concerning. Add to the mix that Rangers, who have lost out on a domestic treble twice with final day heartbreaks – have also lost a clutch of established first-team players this summer and the work of any new manager walking into the building is obvious. Rio Hardy is set for a switch to Bristol City which will take the exit tally to six. On the other side of the city, Celtic have added former Claire Walsh this week to a squad that has lost ten first-team players since the end of the season. Elena Sadiku was in Switzerland on commentary duties so missed the start of pre-season. But such were the paucity of numbers as the club regrouped earlier this month that even organising bounce games proved to be problematic. The club were also slow to open up season ticket renewals for the women's team. [[Celtic]] finished fourth last season and failed to collect any silverware. There was a mid-season flit from home games in Airdrie to a poorer surface in Hamilton, with the Lanarkshire base now hosting [[Celtic]] and newly promoted Accies in the top flight this term. Season tickets, an exceptionally tough sell in the women's game, have been 'frozen' at £130 for an adult and £20 for a child. But with the league restructure this season meaning a 10-team top flight, this actually amounts to the same price for fewer games. Last season, too, an early bird offer also reduced the cost. Prices are cheap as chips compared to tickets for the men's team but fans have been increasingly disillusioned at the direction of travel this summer. If anyone needed any indication of women's teams being there for the optics, the past few months would be a significant endorsement of such a view. Which ought to all play into the hands of Glasgow City. They continue to bang the drum for the philosophy that underpinned their existence and, as a stand alone club who have no affiliation to anyone else, can ensure the focus of the club is funnelled entirely onto the pitch. They have had a few departures of their own to contend with. The latest was the impressive Sam van Diemen who will swap Petershill for Rome this season as she heads to Roma after an undisclosed fee was agreed between the teams on Friday. AND ANOTHER THING For someone who hates women's football, Joey Barton fair manages to watch plenty of it. England's women take on Spain tomorrow night in the Euros final as Sarina Wiegman's side look to defend their status as European champions. If it's not for you – as Barton has been fairly clear on – there is no law to say you must watch it. Barton, who needs to find £200k to clear his liable costs to Jeremy Vine, hosted a live watch-a-long of the semi-final this week in order to mock what was in front of him. Joey Barton is 42-years-old. If England are successful tomorrow night, they will be the first English senior national side to defend a major trophy. The game is their third consecutive final, after they also reached the FIFA Women's 2023 World Cup final against Spain. Whatever Barton's ilk may have to say on the matter, they are clearly doing something right. AND FINALLY Hamilton Accies' experiment at a recent friendly to open the gates and request a donation for attendance is an interesting way to look at generating funds. Getting bums on seats has been a challenge across the SWPL – and the Scottish national team. Giving tickets away free is regarded as devaluing the game but there is a desperate need to drum up a way to get people through the door. Feedback from Accies was that they felt there had been a reasonable return but it is a matter that clubs are constantly having to weigh up as they look to strike the balance between encouraging supporters and building a base while also making money.
The Herald Scotland
16 minutes ago
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SWPL upheaval gives Hibs chance to do what other champions couldn't
No-one has successfully claimed back-to-back titles across recent seasons. Malky Thomson delivered a title to Rangers four years ago before Glasgow City nicked it back off them the following year. Then it was Celtic's turn and now Hibs. It does, of course, point to genuine competition within the top flight but would also indicate a different kind of pressure when it comes to winning a league and then playing with a target on your back. None of which will be news to the vastly experienced Scott or Joelle Murray in at Hibs. They have tweaked and added to their squad and will be tested to the max from the off this term as they juggle the duel demands of Champions League football and domestic action. It was a weight that proved utterly debilitating to Celtic last term as they competed on a duel front. But the most significant aspect this summer has been the languid manner in which the likes of Celtic and Rangers have gone about the business of building a team capable of challenging for the title. There is yet to be a replacement introduced for Jo Potter – and with the new season just 22 days away that looks increasingly concerning. Add to the mix that Rangers, who have lost out on a domestic treble twice with final day heartbreaks – have also lost a clutch of established first-team players this summer and the work of any new manager walking into the building is obvious. Rio Hardy is set for a switch to Bristol City which will take the exit tally to six. On the other side of the city, Celtic have added former Claire Walsh this week to a squad that has lost ten first-team players since the end of the season. Elena Sadiku was in Switzerland on commentary duties so missed the start of pre-season. But such were the paucity of numbers as the club regrouped earlier this month that even organising bounce games proved to be problematic. The club were also slow to open up season ticket renewals for the women's team. [[Celtic]] finished fourth last season and failed to collect any silverware. There was a mid-season flit from home games in Airdrie to a poorer surface in Hamilton, with the Lanarkshire base now hosting [[Celtic]] and newly promoted Accies in the top flight this term. Season tickets, an exceptionally tough sell in the women's game, have been 'frozen' at £130 for an adult and £20 for a child. But with the league restructure this season meaning a 10-team top flight, this actually amounts to the same price for fewer games. Last season, too, an early bird offer also reduced the cost. Prices are cheap as chips compared to tickets for the men's team but fans have been increasingly disillusioned at the direction of travel this summer. If anyone needed any indication of women's teams being there for the optics, the past few months would be a significant endorsement of such a view. Which ought to all play into the hands of Glasgow City. They continue to bang the drum for the philosophy that underpinned their existence and, as a stand alone club who have no affiliation to anyone else, can ensure the focus of the club is funnelled entirely onto the pitch. They have had a few departures of their own to contend with. The latest was the impressive Sam van Diemen who will swap Petershill for Rome this season as she heads to Roma after an undisclosed fee was agreed between the teams on Friday. AND ANOTHER THING For someone who hates women's football, Joey Barton fair manages to watch plenty of it. England's women take on Spain tomorrow night in the Euros final as Sarina Wiegman's side look to defend their status as European champions. If it's not for you – as Barton has been fairly clear on – there is no law to say you must watch it. Barton, who needs to find £200k to clear his liable costs to Jeremy Vine, hosted a live watch-a-long of the semi-final this week in order to mock what was in front of him. Joey Barton is 42-years-old. If England are successful tomorrow night, they will be the first English senior national side to defend a major trophy. The game is their third consecutive final, after they also reached the FIFA Women's 2023 World Cup final against Spain. Whatever Barton's ilk may have to say on the matter, they are clearly doing something right. AND FINALLY Hamilton Accies' experiment at a recent friendly to open the gates and request a donation for attendance is an interesting way to look at generating funds. Getting bums on seats has been a challenge across the SWPL – and the Scottish national team. Giving tickets away free is regarded as devaluing the game but there is a desperate need to drum up a way to get people through the door. Feedback from Accies was that they felt there had been a reasonable return but it is a matter that clubs are constantly having to weigh up as they look to strike the balance between encouraging supporters and building a base while also making money.
The Herald Scotland
36 minutes ago
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And so, from next season, Walker will split his time training and playing with new club Oranje-Rood in Eindhoven and the rest at the GB base in Bisham Abbey, west of London. The plan will see him flying back and forth across the Channel twice a week but it is a sacrifice the 23-year-old is willing to make to advance his career on two fronts, rather than just the one. 'The Oranje-Rood opportunity just came up I couldn't say no to it,' he reveals. 'It was just exciting and a massive challenge and I think it's going to be a lot of fun. 'But I'm also staying full-time at GB so I'm going to fly back and forth most weeks. Sunday to Wednesday, I'm going to be in London. Wednesday to Sunday, I'll be in Holland, playing for Oranje-Rood. 'All the travelling's not ideal but I'm sure I'll get used to it and I won't need to be waiting about in airports for too long. It's one of these things where I couldn't say no to Holland and I couldn't say no to GB.' Walker will follow a path trodden many times by Scotland internationals including Alan Forsyth and Kenny Bain who both benefited from a spell playing in the Netherlands. And having already played abroad before, in Hamburg for Club an der Alster, the former Hutchesons' Grammar pupil hopes to again expand his horizons beyond the hockey field. 'I think everyone has the same feeling about Dutch hockey - you just really want to play in this league if you can,' he confirms. 'It's one of the best, if not the best in the world. It is just a completely different world. And also in terms of going to another country, new cultures, I think that's a massive part of it that you get to go travelling and meet new people which really excites me. 'You had Kenny, Aldo and lots of other boys who have been out there and loved it. I think it's just another exciting chapter for me." The move to Eindhoven brings to an end two successful seasons with Surbiton in the English Premier Division, with Walker signing off by scoring the winning goal in the play-off final. If there is a hockey equivalent of a Roy-of-the-Rovers dream scenario, this was it. 'I just did my job and scored a goal but there was so much more to that success than the guy who touched the ball last,' he adds modestly. 'But, yeah, I was buzzing that I got to score in the final. It was a nice way to finish off a really amazing two years at Surbiton.' Walker has been on his travels again this week, this time with the Scotland national team who are in Lousada, Portugal for the EuroHockey Championships II that get underway tomorrow. Incentive is not in short supply, with the two finalists from the eight-team tournament qualifying for next year's World Cup qualifier and also the revamped top division EuroHockey championships taking place in England in 2027. Having won the FIH Nations Cup II event earlier this year, Walker says Scotland head into this event bursting with confidence. 'We know that we can beat the teams we have to,' he adds. 'It's just about how we mentally approach it and I think right now the boys are in a really good headspace. 'It's been a bit of a tricky summer leading up into this but everyone's handled it really well. It's galvanised us a little bit, and yeah, I think we're all really confident for it. "We didn't have as much contact time as we would have liked but the boys bought into what we had to do and made sure that we just focused on ourselves going into it. 'There's plenty of motivation for us but rather than seeing it as a lot on the line we're seeing it as a lot to gain. So, instead of being concerned that we might not do it, we're all thinking, 'this is our chance'. "We just need to go in and perform with full confidence to be honest as we've got a massive chance to do something really special with this team. 'When you get to the end of your career and you look back, you want to be able to speak about being at European championships and World Cups and not just the qualifiers. And we've got the ability throughout the squad to go out and do something special for Scotland.'
