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.

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.

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."

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