TOM Taylor says the belief that Worcestershire can challenge for silverware and having another crack at Division One cricket in the County Championship were key factors in his signing for the county.

Taylor, who signed a four-year contract at New Road last autumn, is confident Worcestershire “are only going upwards” under CEO Ashley Giles.

He feels his best years are still ahead of him and is aiming to develop into a genuine all-rounder in red-ball cricket.

The former Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire player has quickly settled into life at New Road with his new team-mates and now found a house in the city.

"The winter has been really good. It’s nice to get in, enjoy the company of the lads and get to know them," he said.

"I feel like the club is in an exciting position and doing well in all three competitions and I wanted to join up with that.

"The lads got promoted last year, and it is a big motivating factor for me to play the best standard of cricket I could, give Division One another crack and challenge for silverware.

"Ashley Giles was a massive influence in me signing. When you’ve got someone coming in, and committing themselves to the club, and making the club better like Ash, it’s really good.

"He’s been the MD of England cricket so to have him at the club, driving the club forward, it is only going to go one way.

"The feeling around the place is it is a place going only upwards and I wanted to be part of that.

"I spoke to Richo (Alan Richardson) previously a lot about bowling, and Richard Jones as well, and I’d already had a lot of ties to the club anyway. But the few meetings I had with them, it was really impressive and quite easy to join."