STRIKER Gareth Taylor may be a man with a point to prove on Bank Holiday Monday.

The 28-year-old front-runner has made no bones about the fact that life at his previous club Manchester City went a little sour.

So when the Clarets come head to head with the men from Maine Road at Turf Moor in nine days time, for a match that will kick-off at 6.15pm, Taylor could be really buzzing.

"I was dead keen to move to Burnley after the way things went for me at Manchester City last season," said Taylor.

"Luckily for me things got sorted out in the summer."

For the Norwich-born front-runner the chance to play first team football was paramount.

And it has already paid dividends as he has been recalled to the Welsh international squad by boss Mark Hughes, the Blackburn Rovers striker, for the coming games against Armenia in Cardiff and then against Norway in Oslo.

"I was surprised by the recall, I thought I might have to get a few more games under my belt," admitted Taylor.

"I definitely wated a lot of time at Manchester City.

"And I didn't feel that it was my fault, I honestly didn't feel that I got a fair crack of the whip while I was there.

"When I did play there it was mainly when they were in the second division and that led to me being overlooked for the internationals."

However, while Taylor may have suffered under Joe Royle last season, he has no axe to grind with new Maine Road boss Kevin Keegan.

"Kevin Keegan didn't really have a word with me, he came to the club quite late in the day and I was already set on joining Burnley," explained Taylor. "I had really enjoyed my spell at Burnley. Had he offered me a new contract I don't think it would have changed things.

"I had already decided my future was away from there and after my time at Burnley I was really keen to move to Turf Moor."

And Taylor is eager to build on his already blossoming partnership with fellow front-runner Ian Moore.

"Mooro was great at Sheffield on Sunday, he works ever so hard and we are both enjoying it," said Taylor.

But Taylor is not setting himself any targets.

"I don't set targets as such, but I think most strikers would want to try and hit the 20 mark," he added.

"If I could achieve that it wouls be superb, but I just take every game as it comes and, like every striker, I am disappointed when I haven't scored in a game."