Burnley boss Dyche backs Taylor to step-up again

Sean Dyche is backing Matt Taylor to take another penalty

Taylor returns to former club West Ham tomorrow having missed from the spot against Leicester City last Saturday - with the Foxes compounding his misery by scoring the only goal of the game within 60 seconds.

The 33-year-old’s last goal, ironically, came for the Hammers against Burnley last season, a penalty in a Capital One Cup win at Turf Moor.

And Dyche said: “If he’s ready to take a penalty, then he’ll take a penalty.

“The way he gripped the ball and walked after it, I had no other thought than he would score.”

Taylor spoke two days before the game of his two key penalties for Portsmouth when they defied the odds to survive in 2006, saying: “If I miss, at least I’ve had the guts to stand up and take it.”

He added after hitting the post: “I would be happy to step up again and the day I don’t have that feeling will be the day I need to quit the game because I back myself to the hilt because I know I have the correct ability to take penalties.”

Dyche hailed his character: “You want that from all players in all different areas, not just in a penalty.

Matt Taylor is left dejected after his crucial penalty miss

“You can see the train of thought. What he’s suggesting is you have go to brave enough to want it. You have go to be brave enough to take it, and be brave enough for the outcome because they don’t all go in. Even Graham Alexander missed one and he was as good a penalty taker as most people have seen. So you have to be brave enough to miss now and then. I’ve scored one from one! I retired from it after that – FA Cup semi-final if you want to look it up. Smashed it down the middle!

“I didn’t say anything to him afterwards. What am I going to say that’s going to make him feel any different than he feels? He’s old enough and wise enough to know that the goods, bads, ins and outs of football.

“And he’s also an honest campaigner which we like here. We have a squad who believe in each other and you have to believe in people whether things go well or not. You have to still believe in what you’re doing as a group and there’s been plenty of that.”