Portland Timbers defender Steven Taylor arrived in the Rose City in August and has quickly been a mainstay on the backline. Here he talks about his first impressions on Providence Park, his time in England and the journey ahead.
Providence Park
“It’s unbelievable. When I watched the game against LA Galaxy, they were down 2-0 within the first 15 minutes and the fans never stopped singing and being so positive toward the team. To be involved in that Seattle game at home, that was something I’ve never experienced—the whole occasion, the national anthem—I love all of this here in America. But, it’s the Timbers Army, really, just the way they are. They were nonstop for 94 minutes against Seattle. They were absolutely outstanding, and they were like our 12th man.”
Clubman
“I was living the dream. As a young boy, I came in [Newcastle United] at nine years old and all you ever want to do is play for your hometown team. I was there as a fan with my dad, and to be given that opportunity was amazing. I lived every Newcastle kid’s dream. Now, I’m here in Portland and I’m living every Portland kid’s dream, and I still get the same excitement.”
Scoring on His Home Debut
“It’s certainly special for me. Scoring in a derby game is something I never did with Newscastle, and I’ve done it straight away with Portland. So, for me, it will be never forgotten and definitely ranks right up there.”
New Chapter
“I think the atmosphere the fans here in Portland bring to the game stood out very strongly. Portland is a city that understands soccer, and a lot of people focus on soccer here. Also, I wanted to be a part of something special. When you look at what they did last year, I want to try and get involved and win something here in Portland, so that’s my target for being here, and being around a group that has a winning mentality. We have a great group of players and a great group of staff who are looking to help me improve all the time.”
Goals with Portland
“I hope to try and improve this side and make it better. I think, obviously, if we keep winning games, that’s all I want to do here. I just want to win and I want to be around a winning mentality. I give a 100 percent effort and I make sure everybody else does on the pitch. It’s the same with the lads. They’re on the same wavelength as me. They want to go the same way I want to go. An MLS Cup title is the goal. I just want to win everything. I just want to win as much as I can.”
