Ryan Taylor (footballer born 1984)

For other people named Ryan Taylor, see Ryan Taylor (disambiguation).

Ryan Taylor

Personal information
Full name	Ryan Anthony David Taylor
Date of birth	(1984-08-19) 19 August 1984
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position	Right Midfield / Right/Left Back
Club information
Current club	Newcastle United
Number	16
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2005	Tranmere Rovers	100	(15)
2005–2009	Wigan Athletic	56	(6)
2009–	Newcastle United	71	(6)
National team‡
2005	England U21	4	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:30, 5 March 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:35, 1 February 2009 (UTC)

Ryan Anthony David Taylor (born 19 August 1984) is an English footballer from Liverpool who plays for Newcastle United of the Premier League. He is a versatile player who can operate at right back, right midfield or left back. He is known to be a dead ball specialist, often scoring from free kicks.

Career

Tranmere Rovers

Taylor broke into the first team as an 18-year-old under Ray Mathias, originally playing as a right winger ahead of the more experienced Sean Connelly at right back. However at the end of the season Connelly departed and Taylor reverted to his more natural right back position and over the next two seasons developed into one of the best young players to come through the youth ranks at the club. During the 2004–2005 season, Taylor was pivotal in the club reaching the semi-finals of the play offs, finishing as the clubs second highest scorer with 11 goals (with most goals coming from the penalty spot or set pieces). Tranmere accepted an offer from Wigan Athletic of around £750,000 plus additional clauses for Taylor in the close season and he moved to the Premier League outfit that summer.

Wigan Athletic

Taylor had the worst year in his professional football career with injuries in 2006, a low point in his career. He broke his fifth metatarsal in a FA Cup match against Leeds United and then, in his first outing back, he broke his leg in a reserve clash against Newcastle United.

Taylor scored his first goal in the Premier League against Newcastle on 25 February 2007. From just outside the penalty area, Taylor let one of his specialist direct free kicks fly straight into the top corner with the returning Newcastle goalkeeper, Shay Given, left stranded after 40 minutes. Wigan went on to win the match.

In late 2007, Taylor made a resurgence into the Wigan first team, providing several excellent performances under new manager Steve Bruce, including his second Premier League goal on 26 December, with another free kick against Newcastle.

On 15 November 2008, Taylor scored yet another goal against Newcastle, a long-range shot from 20 yards. His next goal would also come against Newcastle, on Boxing Day, bringing his record to 4 goals in 4 consecutive games against Newcastle, 3 of which came from free kicks, and two consecutive goals against Newcastle on Boxing Days.

Newcastle United

On 2 February 2009, Sky Sports reported that Taylor was at St James' Park undergoing a medical, and Newcastle's website later confirmed Taylor had signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the club, and that this deal was a part exchange for Charles N'Zogbia. He made his debut in an away game for Newcastle in a 3–2 win over West Bromwich Albion. He set up the 3rd goal, his corner being headed in by Steven Taylor.

Taylor scored his first goal for Newcastle on 22 August against Crystal Palace. He would then score his second Newcastle goal, a long range free kick which would beat Richard Wright at his far post, over a month later against Ipswich Town in a convincing 4–0 victory on 26 September 2009.

Taylor scored two almost identical goals in a week during successive wins at St James' Park in February 2010. Both times he came off the bench and scored from a right-wing Fabrice Pancrate cross at the far post in the 90th minute of a game. Strangely enough, both crosses were missed at the near post by forward Leon Best and slotted in by Taylor at the back post. Newcastle won promotion at the end of the season.

Due to the arrival of right back James Perch and central defender Sol Campbell in the summer, Taylor was mostly on the bench for the league fixtures. He played in all three of Newcastle's Football League Cup ties, scoring in two. He scored a long range goal in the second round 3–2 win over Accrington Stanley and a free kick in the 4–3 win away to Chelsea. He played in the 4–0 League Cup loss to Arsenal at St James' Park. After a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury, Taylor returned to first-team action on 26 February 2011 in a game against Bolton Wanderers, being sent off after a challenge on Johan Elmander in the 54th minute.

On 20 August 2011, he scored the winner from a free-kick in a 1–0 victory over Sunderland, and then scored a late equaliser from another free-kick in the 2–1 away win against Scunthorpe United in the second round of the Football League Cup five days later. He earned the nickname 'Over The Wall' for his trademark curling free kicks.

The first months of the season saw Taylor enjoying an extended run in the first team, eventually thriving after a difficult start in an unfamiliar left back role and keeping Italy international Davide Santon on the bench. Taylor scored the winning goal, a dipping volley from outside the penalty area, against Everton in November to help Newcastle match their best start to a Premier League season since the mid-1990s, going 11 games unbeaten. He dedicated his goal to his six-week-old son and also won the man of the match.

Career statistics

Club

Season	Club	Division	League		FA Cup		League Cup		FL Trophy		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
2002–03	Tranmere Rovers	Division 2	25	1	2	0	2	1	3	1	0	0	32	3
2003–04			30	5	7	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	39	6
2004–05		League 1	45	9	1	1	2	0	3	0	0	0	51	10
2005–06	Wigan Athletic	Premier League	11	0	1	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	16	1
2006–07			16	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	16	1
2007–08			17	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	19	3
2008–09			12	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	2
	Newcastle United		10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
2009–10		Championship	31	4	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	36	4
2010–11		Premier League	5	0	0	0	3	2	0	0	0	0	8	2
2011–12			25	2	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	28	3
Total			227	27	18	2	16	5	6	1	0	0	267	35

Stats accurate as of 17:30, 5 March 2012.

Honours

Newcastle United

• Football League Championship Winners: Promotion to the FA Premier League: 2009–2010
• Teresa Herrera Trophy: Winner: 2010

External links

• Ryan Taylor career stats at Soccerbase
• Ryan Taylor profile at the Wigan Athletic website
• Premier league profile