Steven Taylor joins Portland Timbers after leaving boyhood club Newcastle

STEVEN TAYLOR has completed his move to MLS side Portland Timbers.

The long-serving Newcastle hero, 30, called time on his 21-year Tyneside stay at the end of June when his contract expired.

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Taylor held talks with clubs in Turkey and the Qatar but underwent a medical with the reining MLS Cup champions last week before the team announced the deal on Monday.

He said: “The excitement I’ve got is like when I left school at 16 to play professional - it’s like a new lease of life.

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Head coach Caleb Porter admits Taylor's wealth of experience will see him hit the ground running in the States.

He added: "Steven Taylor gives us a proven piece that can step into our backline and perform immediately.

"His experience and leadership will be very important to our team down the stretch."

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Taylor made more than 190 Premier League appearances for Toon, scoring 12 goals.

The centre-back also played in the Europa League during the 2012/13 season and helped the Magpies win the 2006 Uefa Intertoto Cup.

Taylor's final season on Tyneside ended in disappointment, though, as his boyhood club were relegated from the Prem.