SWINDON Town defender Matt Taylor believes he achieved all he could during his 20-year playing career and has no regrets about his time on the pitch.

Taylor started his professional career at Luton before enjoying spells at Portsmouth, Bolton, West Ham, Burnley and Northampton before switching to Wiltshire in 2017.

The 37-year-old retired following Town’s 3-1 home win against Notts County on the final day of the League Two season – a victory that relegated the oldest professional football club out of the football league – and admitted that he has felt the drive to succeed ebb away in recent months.

Far from a regret, Taylor insists his only disappointment is that his final season did not culminate in one last promotion push.

He said: “No I haven’t (got any regrets) because at times in my career, I’ve probably overachieved.

“You can’t have what ifs, there’s no point in me looking back now.

“It’s all about looking forward and embracing the next challenge.

“When you’ve played as long as I have – I’ve had some wonderful times in my career and been exceptionally lucky – but at times, I’ve felt the drive weening away from me slightly.

“I think that’s natural when you’ve played football for as long as I have and you wake up every morning now, at 37, and something else in your body hurts.

“The mental strength has weened slightly too at times, so that’s why I say to you it’s the right decision.

“I’m comfortable with it, it’s just disappointing the way it’s come about this season, with it not really meaning anything over the last few games.”

Taylor played 658 games during his career – 71 of which were for Swindon – and said he played each game as if it was his last, battling for every ball and leaving nothing out on the pitch.

The Oxford-born defender feels he ‘maxed out with the ability he had’ and is perfectly content with everything he achieved during his playing days.

Taylor said: “When you pull a shirt on, I was representing Swindon Town, so therefore I’m going to do what I’ve done in my previous 18 or 19 seasons and continue to give my all.

“That’s the type of person I am, and I would imagine, if you ask football fans what they want to see from their players, they accept mistakes, but they want to actually witness every Saturday or Tuesday is their players going out there and giving 100 per cent.

“I’ve had a career in which I’ve always done that.

“I maxed out with the ability that I had, so I can go home, look at myself in the mirror and be quite happy.”