Canberra United welcome back hometown Hayley Taylor-Young to the Liberty A-League squad with the versatile talent signing on for two further seasons with the club, a deal that will take her until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Taylor-Young will enter her fourth season with the club having racked up a total of 27 appearances to date and netted three goals.
She made her debut, coming off the bench in Canberra’s 3-2 win over Newcastle Jets in Round 3 of the 2019/20 season and scored her first goal in a 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in Round 6 of the same year.
“I am really pleased to have re-signed for Canberra United for the next two seasons and can’t wait to get to work with the rest of the squad.” Taylor-Young commented of her new contract.
“I feel at home with Canberra United, it’s my hometown team, I’ve come through the Academy pathway and it’s a wonderful environment to be a part of. The club can offer me exactly what I’m looking for at this stage of my career.
“I’ve enjoyed my time with the squad over the past couple of season and feel that my game is improving all the time. It’s great that the coaching staff have faith in me as a player and I intend to repay that faith.”
Taylor-Young made her name initially in the Canberra United Academy ranks where, as an out-and-out forward she struck an impressive 39 goals in 46 matches in the National Premier League (NPL), a total that has only ever been bettered once in the Academy’s history.
However, it’s been as a defensive stalwart that Taylor-Young has been shining in recent seasons, playing most of the 2021/22 Liberty A-League season as a defender, or wing-back and earning rave reviews for her contributions at both ends of the park.
“Hayley is a very good footballer, and we are delighted that she has committed to the continuing evolution of the Canberra United project,” Head Coach Njegosh Popovich commented.
“She has tremendous pace and a good engine and can run all day. We have seen how effective she can be in a defensive role, as an overlapping full-back, and in a more advanced role. Hayley offers versatility in the squad and, as another local player, understands the importance of United in the community.”
PLAYER PROFILE
Name: Hayley Taylor-Young
Date of Birth: 25/02/2002
Place of Birth: Canberra, ACT
Former Clubs: Canberra United Academy
A-League Appearances: 27
A-League Goals: 2
Canberra United Academy Appearances: 46
Canberra United Academy Goals: 39
