# Taylor Harwood-Bellis
**Taylor Harwood-Bellis** (born 2002) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Premier League club Aston Villa and has one senior cap for England, scoring on his international debut in November 2024.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) A product of the Manchester City academy, he won the [EFL Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-championship) twice in successive loan seasons with Burnley and [Southampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/southampton) before joining Southampton permanently in 2024 and moving to Villa in 2026.[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 2002, Stockport, England; 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), right-footed defender[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) |
| Youth career | Manchester City academy from age six; FA Youth Cup finalist in 2019 and winner in 2020[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) |
| Manchester City | Eight senior appearances; debut in a 3-0 Carabao Cup third round win over Preston North End in September 2019[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437) |
| Loans | Blackburn Rovers (19 appearances), Anderlecht, Stoke City, and Burnley (32 appearances in the 101-point 2022/23 title-winning season)[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437) |
| Southampton | 46 appearances and six goals in the 2023/24 promotion season; permanent four-year contract from 1 July 2024; 134 appearances and 12 goals in total[3](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-permanent-move) • [4](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-villa-move) |
| England | Captained the Under-21s to the 2023 UEFA U21 EURO title; senior debut and goal on 17 November 2024[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) |
## Youth career and Manchester City
Harwood-Bellis was born and raised in [Stockport](https://www.edgepedia.org/stockport) and joined Manchester City at the age of six, coming through the same Stockport Metro Junior League that produced [Phil Foden](https://www.edgepedia.org/phil-foden).[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) • [5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis) His first academy success was reaching the [FA Youth Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-youth-cup) final in 2019, where City lost to Liverpool and he formed a central defensive partnership with the Barcelona and Spain international Eric García; City went one better in 2020 by winning the competition.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) • [5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis)
**First-team breakthrough.** His senior debut came in September 2019, playing the full match in a 3-0 Carabao Cup third round win over Preston North End, a trophy City went on to win for a third successive season.[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437) A Champions League debut followed two months later as a substitute in a 4-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb, and his first senior goal came in the [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) third round against Port Vale, also won 4-1.[5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis) In total he made eight senior appearances for [Pep Guardiola](https://www.edgepedia.org/pep-guardiola)'s side.[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437) A 2019/20 scout report recorded him averaging 74.03 passes per game in his first-team spells with a 96.7 percent completion rate, of which 37.35 percent were forward passes, describing his passing as simpler and more direct than García's while still capable of vertical progression.[6](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/competitions/premier-league/taylor-harwood-bellis-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
## Loan spells
With first-team opportunities at City limited, Harwood-Bellis built his career through four loans.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) Championship side Blackburn Rovers signed him for the second half of the 2020/21 season, and he made 19 appearances under [Tony Mowbray](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-mowbray).[5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis) In the 2021/22 campaign he moved to Belgium in June 2021 to join [Anderlecht](https://www.edgepedia.org/anderlecht), then managed by the former City captain [Vincent Kompany](https://www.edgepedia.org/vincent-kompany), and featured just shy of 20 times in the Belgian Pro League with two assists.[5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis) A January 2022 move back to the Championship took him to Stoke City under Michael O'Neill, where he became an ever-present at bet365 Stadium with 22 appearances.[5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis)
Kompany then brought him to Burnley for 2022/23, where Harwood-Bellis made 32 Championship appearances as Burnley were promoted as champions with 101 points.[2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437) He has described the Anderlecht period as a test of attitude, saying that if he had let his ego get in the way when he was not playing there, he would not have received the opportunity at Burnley.[7](https://www.efl.com/news/2025/september/17/taylor-harwood-bellis--a-winners-mentality/)
## Southampton
Harwood-Bellis joined Southampton on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day in September 2023, a deal that included an obligation to buy if Southampton were promoted.[8](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-arrives-on-loan) Under Russell Martin he featured 46 times and contributed to six goals, missing just two Championship games, as Southampton won promotion back to the Premier League through the play-offs, beating Leeds in the final at Wembley.[3](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-permanent-move) • [2](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437) Promotion activated the clause in the agreement, and he finalized a permanent move on a four-year contract on 1 July 2024.[3](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-permanent-move)
His first season in the top flight brought 34 Premier League appearances, all as a right-sided center-back, totalling 2,828 minutes with one league goal.[9](https://www.footymetrics.com/players/3917/taylor-harwood-bellis) Across his whole Southampton career he made 134 appearances and scored 12 times, and he captained the side on 10 occasions under head coach [Tonda Eckert](https://www.edgepedia.org/tonda-eckert) in 2025/26.[4](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-villa-move)
## International career
Harwood-Bellis was a regular for England throughout the age groups, representing and often captaining the MU16, MU17, MU19, and MU21 sides; he captained the Under-17s at the 2019 European Championships.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) • [5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis) As captain of the Under-21s he lifted the UEFA U21 EURO trophy in August 2023 after a final win over Spain, part of a [Lee Carsley](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-carsley)-managed defense that did not concede a single goal in the entire competition; he played every minute as captain except the final group match.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) • [8](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-arrives-on-loan) • [5](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis)
**Senior debut.** Interim manager Lee Carsley called him up for the first time in November 2024, and he made his senior England debut on 17 November 2024, heading in a goal from a [Jude Bellingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/jude-bellingham) cross in a 5-0 Nations League win over a ten-man [Republic of Ireland](https://www.edgepedia.org/republic-of-ireland) at Wembley.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis) • [10](https://epaper.truepointnews.com/media/2024-11/19th-nov-point-epaper_ap.pdf) He has one senior cap and one senior goal.[1](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis)
## Move to Aston Villa
Southampton confirmed on 1 September 2026 that Harwood-Bellis had completed a permanent transfer to Aston Villa for a substantial fee, on transfer deadline day.[4](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-villa-move)
## Playing style
By September 2025, at age 23, he had amassed over 150 senior appearances, a total that includes his senior England cap.[7](https://www.efl.com/news/2025/september/17/taylor-harwood-bellis--a-winners-mentality/)
## References
1. [Taylor Harwood-Bellis player profile, England Football (The FA)](https://www.englandfootball.com/england/mens-senior-team/squad/taylor-harwood-bellis)
2. [Harwood-Bellis joins Southampton permanently, Manchester City FC](https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/taylor-harwood-bellis-permanent-move-southampton-63855437)
3. [Harwood-Bellis completes permanent move, Southampton FC](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-permanent-move)
4. [Harwood-Bellis completes Villa move, Southampton FC](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-completes-villa-move)
5. [In Profile: Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Southampton FC](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/in-profile-taylor-harwood-bellis)
6. [Taylor Harwood-Bellis 2019/20 scout report, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/competitions/premier-league/taylor-harwood-bellis-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
7. [Taylor Harwood-Bellis: A winners mentality, The English Football League](https://www.efl.com/news/2025/september/17/taylor-harwood-bellis--a-winners-mentality/)
8. [Harwood-Bellis arrives on loan, Southampton FC](https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/harwood-bellis-arrives-on-loan)
9. [Taylor Harwood-Bellis Stats, FootyMetrics](https://www.footymetrics.com/players/3917/taylor-harwood-bellis)
10. [England 5-0 Republic of Ireland match report, TruePoint News epaper (19 November 2024)](https://epaper.truepointnews.com/media/2024-11/19th-nov-point-epaper_ap.pdf)
11. [Taylor Harwood-Bellis TACTIX Impact, stats and form 2024/25, TACTIX](https://tactix.football/player/taylor-harwood-bellis/2024-25)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Defenders › Center-backs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license