THE sky's the limit for Samson Tovide.

That's the view of his experienced strike partner Lyle Taylor, who believes there is no limit on how far his Colchester United team-mate can rise in the professional game.

Taylor, 20, clocked up his 500th competitive appearance last weekend and has enjoyed a superb professional career, where he played in the Championship for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic.

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The 34-year-old believes promising youngster Tovide, currently sidelined with a hip injury, is also capable of reaching such heights - and beyond.

Speaking to Sky Bet, striker Taylor said: “When I was brought in, we had two young strikers in Bradley Ihionvien and Samson Tovide who would benefit from my experience and talking to them, helping them through the start of their journeys.

“Obviously, Bradley went to Peterborough and we wish him all the best because he’s a really talented young boy.

“It’s Samson who is now the project, without being disrespectful in that way.

“He’s the one that’s got the capacity to go and have a really good career and I don’t think with his set of attributes there is a ceiling to how high he can go.

(Image: MATT WILKINSON)

“It’s about timing and the stars aligning, being in the right place at the right time.

“That’s part of my remit, to help the younger players and simply by being the oldest player in the dressing room, you fall into that role anyway.

“At the same time, I also want to play. So, it’s not just about me coming in and helping the younger boys, I’m fighting for the shirt the same way everyone else is.

“It’s not an end of career role, this is very much a ‘I’ve still got a lot to give and I’m going to continue giving,’ so someone is going to have to steal that shirt off me and drag me out before I give it up.”

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Taylor says he has been impressed by the quality of Colchester's academy, since arriving at the club in the summer.

“There are some really good young talents coming through at the football club," he added.

“Recently, we had Oscar Thorn make his full debut for the club, which is incredible for him and is very much deserved.

“He went out on loan for the start of the season in the Conference South, has come back and has been thrown straight in which is testament to him and how well he’s done to start the season.

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

“There are other young players who are out on loan who are really talented.

“There is a group of young boys who are, in my opinion, desperate to make it as professional footballers and what they’re doing is their building the right way and trying to force themselves into the thought process by doing the right thing.

“Fair play to them because the luck comes the harder you work, and they are a talented group of boys, and I hope they have good careers.”