CHRIS Taylor may have turned an important corner in his fledgling Wanderers career.

The 29-year-old winger, signed on a free this summer after his release at Blackburn Rovers, has found life tough going at the Macron so far.

Problems with form and fitness have restricted him to just three league starts, the last of which was a month ago against Rochdale.

But after a bout of illness forced Taylor to effectively start pre-season all over again, Phil Parkinson believes the former Oldham Athletic man is now making some significant progress and could be ready to make his return to the first team.

“He had the illness and I had a few long chats with him talking about what he needed to do,” he said. “We took him back almost to pre-season and had a week of double sessions, worked him very, very hard, and he responded well. Everything about him has been at a different level in the past week and he’s pushing hard for a start.

“I have said before that Chris is a good player and he’s really keen to show that. In order to show people what he can really do, he has to be fit and we think he’s certainly getting there.”

Taylor created a goal for George Newell in midweek as he gained some valuable playing time for the Under-23s and earned praise for his performance.

He also received a warm reception after coming on as a late substitute at Bury on Monday night, suggesting the relationship with fans which looked strained just a few short weeks ago is now on the mend.

Parkinson believes Taylor may have been ‘over-eager’ to impress in new surroundings at the start of the season and has had to work hard with him off the pitch to get him back to the required physical and mental levels for first team football.

The manager’s current preferred system – with Zach Clough and Sammy Ameobi operating in wider roles – may also suit Taylor better than the one employed back in August and September.

“We played a diamond at the start of the season and he can play in that but it’s not the ideal role for Chris,” he said.

“He’s more of a natural wide player and he was slightly a victim of that.

“When you come to the club you want to make an impression. When it doesn’t happen then frustration can creep in.

“We saw a bit of that with Chris but he’s got his head down now and when he gets the chance, he’s definitely a player who can stay in the team.”

Though current results have made his line-up difficult to alter, Parkinson has been pleased with the attitude shown right around the squad.

The Wanderers boss even picked out two first teamers who have been very much on the periphery in the past few weeks - Dorian Dervite and Liam Trotter – to emphasise how things have improved on the training ground at Lostock in October.

“I have noticed standards are up again,” he said. “The message is getting through and I can’t emphasise enough to players who have not had a chance how important it is to keep working hard.

“Games come thick and fast in the next couple of months and I can’t afford to have anyone lagging behind. Everyone has to be ready to come in and do their bit when we need them, whether that’s off the bench or from the start.”

Trotter did not feature for the Under-23s in defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night but Parkinson said the midfielder’s omission was purely down to the rules of the league.

“We could only play three players over the age of 23 so we had to make a decision based on who we felt needed a game,” he said. “I was happy with the physical stats from the game. Max Clayton was right up there, so he’s certainly making progress too.”