Ryan Taylor is determined to earn a regular place in the Newcastle side and has targeted a role at right-back.
Magpies utility man hopes for more starts
Ryan Taylor is determined to earn a regular place in the Newcastle first-team and has targeted a role at right-back.
The 26-year-old did not feature every week for the Magpies last season, starting less than half of the league matches as Newcastle ran away with the Championship title.
However, Taylor hopes to play a bigger role in the Premier League campaign and wants to fight alongside Danny Simpson and James Perch for a right-back berth.
"I would love to cement down a first-team place, but it's tough at the moment," he told the
Northern Echo.
"It is not a nice time for me, but I have got to make a name for myself.
"I have a reputation as Mr Versatile and I suppose if I go through my career with that tag, it's not the worst thing in the world. But at the same time, I want to establish myself in one position.
"My favourite is right-back, but I don't mind playing anywhere.
"I'll probably play more games there though, so hopefully my goal and performance at Accrington (in the Carling Cup) won't have done me any harm."
Newcastle have made a good start to life back in the top-flight and caught the headlines with a 6-0 thrashing of Aston Villa last month.
Taylor only featured as a substitute in that game but believes the comfortable victory is a warning to other sides in the division.
"I think the Villa game in particular was a wake up call for the league," he added.
"We have not come back to the Premier League to be pushovers. We have not left the Championship to go back there.
"We like to think we are a Premier League team, and although we have to keep our feet on the ground and keep working, come the end of the season, we will be fine as long as we carry on putting in performances like the ones we have produced so far."
