Newcastle boss delighted with new Taylor deal

The 24-year-old has signed a new contract that will keep him at Newcastle until July 2016.

“I’ve always really admired Steven Taylor and I thought it was imperative that we kept him here. He’s still young, he’s a Geordie and he’s a top defender,” Pardew said.

“He’s played a lot of games for somebody his age, played in Europe and captained his country at Under-21 level, and that says everything you need to know about him.

“Steven is somebody who can be a bedrock of our defence for a long time to come, and it’s great news that he’s staying. I made it one of my priorities when I arrived. Steven is just the sort of player that we need to keep at this club.”