Ryan Taylor Bio Send To Friend  

Newcastle United snapped up Taylor from Wigan Athletic on deadline day in February 2009 for an undisclosed fee as part of a deal which took Charles N'Zogbia in the other direction.

Newcastle knew Taylor all too well due to his annoying habit of scoring against the Magpies every time the two clubs met.

The defender began his career with Tranmere Rovers, making his debut in September 2002. And he marked his bow with the winning goal in a 2-1 victory at Huddersfield Town.

He soon became a fixture in the Tranmere side which battled for promotion, unsuccessfully, from League One.

Taylor was being tracked by a number of top flight clubs, including Everton, but it was Wigan who won the race in the summer of 2005 for an initial fee of £750,000, rising to £1.25million on appearances.

He was a regular in the side until he suffered a two bad injuries after the turn of the year.

First he suffered a broken metatarsal and then in his first game back for the reserves broke his leg.

Injury kept him out for almost exactly a year until he returned in a Premier League game at Chelsea. He was once again a regular in the remainder of the 2006/07 season as he recovered his full fitness.

A set-piece specialist, Taylor did well when given the chance in the 2007/08 season although was kept out of the side for much of the campaign by Mario Melchiot.

Taylor was a regular in the side in 2008/09 before joining Newcastle.