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McCarthy very happy to sign Steven Taylor but not so pleased with another former Newcastle player

7 years ago
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Steven Taylor has agreed to join Ipswich Town and Mick McCarthy couldn’t be happier.

Only now awaiting his international clearance, McCarthy has agreed a deal with the former Newcastle player until the end of the season.

The Ipswich boss says that Steven Taylor is a great organiser and voice in the dressing room, plus he was a ‘real top centre-back in the Premier League’ when with Newcastle.

A two and a half year dear with Portland Timbers was ended by ‘mutual consent’ after only a few months and with Steven Taylor turning 31 this week he still should have a few years left in him.

He will be denied a return to St James Park as Ipswich have already lost 3-0 there this season, though 17 April sees United scheduled to visit Portman Road.

Mick McCarthy:

Steven Taylor has done fine this week and my intention is to take him.

“We have agreed to sign him until the end of the season.

“He is a good voice in the dressing-room, a good professional and he was a real top centre-back in the Premier League with Newcastle.

“He does a lot of organising on the pitch so I’m delighted that we have agreed something with Steven. It gives us another option at the back and we short there with the injuries we have.”

“He’s hungry to get back in and prove to everybody that he can still play, at least at this level.”

Mick McCarthy though wasn’t as happy with another former Newcastle player…

“I have told Leon Best, he won’t play again for me.

“He came in and impressed everybody, was in the right place at the right time, but he has not done it since, which is my view and it is my view which counts.

“I decided after the Lincoln game, that was it.”

Leon Best signed a one year deal back in the summer but is still to score a goal for Ipswich and it sounds like he won’t ever get another chance to do so…

Ironically, his last Championship start was in that 3-0 defeat at Newcastle in October but he has made a few appearance off the bench in the league.

Ipswich lost to Lincoln in the FA Cup third round and it was Leon Best’s first starting eleven in the three months since the game at St James Park.

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