Bolton Wanderers Rival Standard Liege For Former Newcastle Midfielder's Signature

Former Newcastle United midfielder Ryan Taylor has received at least two contract offers for next season - with Bolton Wanderers joining Belgian side Standard Liege in the race for the free agent's signature. Taylor was released by the Magpies via a phonecall in which he was also asked to pass the phone over to Jonas Gutierrez, who had only returned after months out recovering from cancer, at the end of the 2014-15 season. Although he has spent the entirety of his career to date in England with Newcastle, Wigan Athletic and Tranmere Rovers, it looks as if the Liverpool-born midfielder could now be heading across to Belgium - but not if Bolton boss Neil Lennon has anything to do with it.

Lennon is hoping to convince Taylor to move back to Lancashire with the Trotters this summer, according to The Bolton News. A versatile right-back, right-winger or central-midfielder, Taylor signed for Newcastle in January 2009 as part of the deal that took Charles N€™Zogbia to Wigan. An impressive performer during Newcastle€™s Championship-winning season in 2009-10, Taylor then suffered from a number of serious knee complaints over the following few seasons that severely limited his playing time. Returning during the 2014-15 season, Taylor had clearly been affected by his injuries and did not look anything like the solid performer of before. As well as scoring the derby winner against Sunderland from a free-kick in August 2011 - a goal which earned him the chant "Ryan Taylor, Over The Wall" - he made a total of 106 appearances for Newcastle, netting on 10 occasions. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow whatculture.com/NUFC on Twitter and Facebook.