The Whitley Bay lad has signed for MLS side Portland Timbers and has been presented to the US media in the last 24 hours. Taylor says he was offered a “pay as you play” deal by the Magpies, but did not get assurances about his long-term future.
Speaking to the American Press, Taylor said: “At the end of the season, I spoke to Lee Charnley and they offered me a one-year extension on a pay-as-you-play basis but that didn’t give me a buzz.
“They couldn’t have given me the security I wanted but the Portland Timbers bent over backwards to get me and gave me that loving feeling. It’s a new lease of life for me out here, I wake up every morning in the sunshine and it makes me feel even better.
“I’ve got a buzz back, my happy feet back. I’m just feeling good again. Being out here and training day in and day out, there is constant treatment for me and I just can’t wait to get started.”
Taylor also commented he turned down several chances to leave Newcastle after breaking into the first team in 2004.
He said: “Since I was 18 there were chances to leave throughout my career. I never felt that it was the right time to go.
“But I always felt as if I was in a comfort zone. I see myself out here long-term.
“I’m getting my visa sorted now and I’ll apply for my green card.”