Taylor sets sights on Magpies return
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor is determined to play again this season after starting out on the long road to recovery from his dislocated shoulder.
The 20-year-old blossomed to such an extent during the first few months of the current campaign that he came to be regarded as the club’s most reliable central defender despite the recruitment of £8m (€11.7m) Frenchman Jean-Alain Boumsong and the presence of £4.5m (€6.6m) former England U21 international Titus Bramble.
However, he dislocated his shoulder in November in a training ground collision while on duty with England U21s, and although he returned to action on St Stephen's Day at Liverpool, he did so fearing all was not well.
When the inevitable happened – his shoulder popped out again as he fell awkwardly after an aerial challenge with Fernando Morientes – surgery to pin it was the only option, and he had the operation four days later.
Then manager Graeme Souness admitted it was unlikely the youngster would play again this season, but although he is setting no firm targets, Taylor is hoping that will not be the case.
“I knew when I had the operation that it needed to be sorted,” he said. “The last thing I wanted was to be going into every game wondering if it was going to pop out.
“It’s frustrating to be out for such a long period of time, but hopefully I will get the benefit in the long run. I’m a lot happier now that the operation been done, and it’s far better having it done now than five years down the line.
“I’m not setting any targets or putting pressure on myself by saying I’ll be back for this game or that game, but it would be nice to think I can get some games in at the back end of the season.”
Taylor’s absence, coupled with those of other key men such as Michael Owen, Stephen Carr, Kieron Dyer, Scott Parker and Emre, has coincided with a major slump in form for Newcastle, which saw them slide down the table.
That run of results cost Souness his job, although successive victories over Portsmouth and Aston Villa under caretaker boss Glenn Roeder have raised spirits in recent weeks.
“Things have gone well in the last couple of games, so long may that continue,” Taylor said. “It’s hard to watch when the team is struggling, and I felt sorry for the lads because they were getting a lot of stick and a lot of it was unjustified.
“But we are starting to get injured players back now, and I think the last two results have proved what you can do when you have your key players available.”
In the meantime, he will concentrate simply on the task of returning to full fitness and making himself available once again as soon as possible.
“I came back into training on Monday and I have basically just been doing cardio-vascular work in the gym,” he told the club’s official website, www.nufc.co.uk. “I have to strengthen the shoulder muscle now, because I have been unable to do much in the five or six weeks since the operation.
“I have just had to relax really, and watch what I’ve been eating because I obviously didn’t want to put weight on. It will be a long road back, but the physios have been great with me and I’m in good hands with them.
“The shoulder feels a lot better than I thought it would, if I’m honest, but I won’t be back until I’m ready and comfortable with it.
“It will be at least six weeks of rehab for me, and then hopefully I will be looking at getting back onto the training pitch after that.”