Experienced ex-Premier League defender Steven Taylor will be Wellington Phoenix’s captain for the Hyundai A-League 2019/20 Season.
Phoenix boss Ufuk Talay confirmed the appointment after his side’s 7-0 friendly win over Wairarapa United in Masterton on Wednesday night.
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Taylor was the skipper for the match and asked post-game if that meant he would be captain for the season, Talay said: “He had the armband on so he will be.”
The Englishman takes over from Wellington’s long-serving captain Andrew Durante, who left Phoenix in the off-season to join Western United FC.
Taylor, 33, played more than 200 games for Newcastle United and impressed in his maiden Phoenix campaign last year alongside Durante in central defence.
And he’ll be hoping his first game as leader will be a sign of things to come as Wellington cruised to a big win in their first hit-out of the pre-season.
New recruits David Ball (two goals), Jaushua Sotirio (two), Ulises Davila and Cameron Devlin all found the net for Talay’s troops, along with young left-back Liberato Cacace.
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Phoenix now have less than two weeks before their first competitive match under Talay in the FFA Cup 2019 Round of 32.
The Kiwi outfit will travel to Perry Park to take on Queensland NPL side Brisbane Strikers on Wednesday, August 7.
