Wellington Phoenix defender Steven Taylor has extended his contract with the A-League club for another season.
The former English Premier League star with Newcastle has been one of the star performers for the capital-based club in its run towards the competition playoffs, combining with captain Andrew Durante to bolster a defence that conceded a league-high 55 goals last season.
Taylor has played all but one game this season, establishing himself as a Wellington fan favourite.
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"I feel at home in Wellington and I'm playing well, so I'm very happy to be signing an extension here," he says.
"[Coach] Mark Rudan was a big reason behind my extension and the belief he has shown in me has been fantastic. The team are all working towards a bigger goal, and that is to win and bring this club back to where it belongs.
"The goal for this season is to fight for a finals position and then to fight towards the Grand Final."
Rudan is rumoured to be leaving the club next season for the Geelong-based expansion team Western United, but sees Taylor's decision to re-sign as an encouraging sign for Wellington's future aspirations.
"Taylor has been a prominent figure this year, alongside Andrew Durante, and I am extremely pleased that he has signed for another year," says Rudan.
"It just shows we're not only building towards finals this year, but we are building for next year as well."
The Phoenix travel to Sydney FC on Saturday.
Newshub.
