PORTLAND, Ore. – If you ask Portland Thorns FC forward Jodie Taylor, she'll tell you that her return to Oregon has been a long time coming.
The native of Wallasey, England first came to Oregon fresh out of secondary school—Great Britain’s equivalent to high school. Before arriving in Corvallis to tour Oregon State University, Taylor had never traveled outside of the United Kingdom.
"I was on my own, not knowing what to do," Taylor said. "Obviously, coming out to visit and see Oregon State is how they get you as well."
The campus experience in tranquil Corvallis captured the imagination of Taylor, who by then had already experienced top-level women's soccer with her old club, Tranmere Rovers L.F.C. When she decided to travel halfway across the world to attend OSU and play soccer she surprised her family and friends.
"It just felt like it was the right decision," Taylor said. "I got home and was like, 'Yeah, I want to do it!' As a foreigner, to sign up for a four-year deal with a college is just the scariest thing ever. I saw it as: I'll do a year, I'll do a season, and if it's bad, I'll be home by Christmas and then I can stay. You see it as just three months and then take it from there."
Taylor's stay in Corvallis, however, proved enduring.
In her four years with the Beavers, Taylor set school records in goals (47) and points (113) and was named a Pac-10 All-Star four times.
Since graduating from OSU in 2007, Taylor's pro career has taken her across the world and has included stints in Canada, Australia, the U.K., and Sweden. Pretty impressive for someone who had never left home until college.
Last year, Taylor played with the Washington Spirit of the NWSL, and she says that when she traveled back to Oregon to play the Thorns, all of those old memories came flooding back.
"Just stepping foot back in the airport and seeing that Portland carpet, it felt so familiar and it felt like I was coming home, honestly," she said. "So that trip when we came I was like, 'Yeah, I really miss being here.'"
In January, the Thorns acquired the English striker in a trade with the Spirit. When she heard the news, Taylor was overjoyed.
"I was so happy about the trade," she said. "It's so nice to be back. There are people still around that I went to college with. At some point, we'll be able to catch up and I will reconnect with them and get that balance outside of football. All around, I'm pretty happy."
Taylor's recent club success with both Sydney FC of the Australian W-League and with the Spirit caught the attention of English National Team head coach Mark Sampson, who gave Taylor her debut in a friendly against Sweden last August.
Earlier this month, Taylor scored her first international goals—a hat trick, no less—in a 3-0 rout of Australia, earning the Three Lionesses a place in the final of the 2015 Cyprus Cup, which England went on to win 1-0.
"I think we took it up another level," Taylor said of England's performance in that tournament. "The way we're going, we're going to be in a really good place going into the World Cup. You never know with the draw and how everything goes, but we're just super excited to keep building for the World Cup. We'll be ready."
As excited as Taylor is to play in this summer's World Cup, she's equally excited to get out onto the field with her talented Thorns FC teammates.
"The quality of players here will be awesome to play with," she said.
Thorns FC continue their preseason training this week with a match in Arizona against FC Tucson Women (6:30pm PT, Follow @ThornsFC for updates).
