[3] Talay first entered a national competition for Marconi-Fairfield in the now defunct NSL, as first an understudy to Steve Corica and later as a midfield partner.

He shortly moved again to second division side Mersin Idman Yurdu, before being enticed to return to Australia with Sydney FC in the new A-League competition.

He has been described by Socceroo Josip Skoko as "the best player to never represent Australia", and Talay has expressed his desire for a full international cap.

[4] His first season was cut short by a knee injury, missing the last seven games (including the grand final) after solid performances in the A-League and Club World Cup.

His early appearances of the season were as a late substitute, before other injuries opened the opportunity to win back a first team place, which he held for the remainder of the year.

[8] In January 2008, he was named by coach Pim Verbeek in a 22-man Socceroos training camp squad, made up entirely of A-League players,[9] in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup third round qualifiers in Sydney.

[12] In June 2018, he left his role with the national set-up to join Sydney FC as assistant to Steve Corica, a teammate during his previous spell at the club.

Talay had a positive start to his managerial tenure with the Wellington Phoenix when he led them to a 7–0 victory over Wairarapa United in a pre-season friendly in his first match in charge.

[15] Talay reiterated his commitment to the Phoenix, knocking back offers from A-league clubs Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers.

[17] In his third season in charge, Talay guided the Phoenix to a sixth placed finish securing a playoff spot in the finals series.

Despite the early exit, the Phoenix exceeded expectations to finish sixth and qualify for the finals series given all the obstacles they had to overcome in 2021–22, such as spending the majority of the season away from home due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.