Newcastle United's longest-serving player Steven Taylor is to be released this summer - and here's the full transcript of his final interview.

Newcastle United will bid farewell to their longest-serving player at the end of the month after the club confirmed that Steven Taylor would be released once his contract expires.

The 30-year-old defender made his debut for the club back in 2004 and managed 268 first-team appearances in all for his boyhood club.

However, both Newcastle and Taylor have decided that the time had come for the pair to part ways.

Rafa Benitez is looking to create a squad he believes will achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, while Taylor himself accepts he is ready to tackle a new challenge.

Celtic, Rangers, Brighton & Hove Albion and Hull City have been touted as potential destinations for the centre-back, who has revealed he has received offers from “home and abroad”.

But what does the future hold for Taylor? How does it feel to be leaving Newcastle? What are his best memories of the club? Why does he name-check Samuel Eto’o? And does Taylor intend on returning to the club at some point?

Read all that and much more in the full transcript of Taylor’s farewell interview with the club’s official website:

ON HIS DECISION TO LEAVE THE CLUB:

“Obviously it’s a new challenge for me.

“It’s a sad day – but it was always going to happen at some stage.

“Myself and the club have agreed it’s the best time now for me to move on, for the club to move forward, and for me to move on to a new chapter for myself.

“I will fully relish the opportunity.”

HAS IT SUNK IN YET THAT YOU WON’T WEAR THE BLACK-AND-WHITE SHIRT AGAIN?

“Not yet.

“It think it will take until the start of next season before it will sink it.

“But to leave after the Tottenham game, 5-1, and I’d rather leaving on a win than a loss so it was a nice way for me to end it.

“It’s a sad day that we got relegated though.”

ARE YOU PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED FOR THE CLUB YOU SUPPORTED FOR SO LONG?

“Absolutely.

“As a nine-year-old coming to the Newcastle School of Excellence, having sat up in the Sir John Hall stand having watched the games, and then to be ballboy – I thought that’s the closest I would ever get to the pitch.

“For a Whitley Bay lad to live his dream, come to play football and put the black-and-white shirt on, for me no-one can ever take that away from me.

“I’ve lived my dream now so it’s time for me to move on to a new chapter of my career and hopefully one day I will return here.”
WERE YOU ALWAYS CONFIDENT YOU’D BREAK INTO THE FIRST TEAM?

“Obviously coming up you could see the centre-halves at the club at the time.

“There wasn’t really many chances given to the young lads when I was coming up.

“I was always thinking I would have to start lower league and then build my way up.

“It got to a stage where I was about 14 or 15, then more opportunities started to come for the young lads coming through, and I started to get that feel for it again.

“Then I left school at 16, missed out the Academy and I went straight into the Academy with Tommy Craig.

“He took me under his wing and was fantastic with me.

“He put me into the squad and then Sir Bobby Robson did, with some first-team players such as Alan Shearer and Gary Speed, Shay Given too.

“They all took me under their wing to guide me through there.

“When you’re a Newcastle fan and then you turn that into becoming a Newcastle United player, which was for me was what I always wanted to do.”

ON HIS FIRST-TEAM DEBUT AGAINST REAL MALLORCA - AND SWAPPING SHIRTS WITH SAMUEL ETO’O:

“I just remember getting warmed up. Andy O’Brien was struggling, I think he had a groin problem or something, and Bobby Robson said: ‘Here’s your chance.’

“For me to be out there was something special and I just remember playing the game against Samuel Eto’o, who I later played against Anzhi [Makhachkala].

“But that night was something I’ll never forget.

“I swapped tops with Eto’o after the game and I wore the No 38 shirt.

“Swapping his shirt for my shirt – he must be using my shirt as a clean in his house or something!

“I don’t know what he’s used that as.

“It was a nice moment.”

YOUR FIRST GOAL AGAINST CELTA VIGO MEANT A LOT TO YOU?

“Just a little bit.

“I think your first goal is always special.

“At the Gallowgate End as well from a corner – I didn’t know what else to do.

“When you see me score a goal, it means an awful lot to me, and I’ll always go wild.

“Whether it’s on the pitch or in training, it always meant something.”

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORIES?

“The wins against Sunderland are always going to be good.

“But the night we beat Anzhi in the UEFA Cup [actually the Europa League] was something I’ll never forget – especially with the crowd, the atmosphere at that game.

“I’ve never had that feeling ever, especially at my time here at St James’ Park.

“That for me is one of the highlights.”

AND WHAT ABOUT WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2009-10?

“I think the most important thing about that was we had to bounce back from that and it was something everyone believed we could do and we should have done anyway.

“It was kind of redeeming ourselves.”

LOW POINTS - TWO RELEGATIONS AND YOUR INJURY PROBLEMS?

“Two relegations now, they’re the lowest points of my career.

“The fact I had some injuries which I couldn’t be helped for – like the Achilles’ injuries, which are just freak ones.

“Still to this day the medical team don’t understand how they’ve happened.

“But they happened and, with all the dislocations, I’m like the bionic man the amount of injuries I’ve had.

“The good thing is though that Newcastle stuck by me, and the medical team I couldn’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done.

“It’s going to have been hard for them on a day-to-day basis, the amount of wives nagging at their husbands, and that’s because they’re at the training ground the whole time.

“And the players who have known me for so long to put up with me, I appreciate that.”

YOU JUST LOVE PLAYING?

“Absolutely - every day I go to the training ground, I get that buzz driving into training.

“It’s exciting; I’m living everyone’s dream to play football.

“For me to do what I’m doing, it’s like a dream come true.

“I just love playing at St James’ Park, then when it’s away games we’ve got the Newcastle away supporters who have always been unbelievable and who have been talked about as one of the best in the world.

“The training, the lads, the banter, the every-day running of it, it’s a way of life and that’s how I’ve always known it.”

WHAT DOES NEWCASTLE UNITED MEAN TO YOU?

“It’s everything I’ve ever known from a young nine-year-old lad to now.

“All I’ve ever known is wearing that black-and-white shirt, so it will be different from wearing a different shirt.

“Listen it’s time to move on now. I’m excited for the future.

“I hope Newcastle as well have an exciting future ahead of them.

“I wish them all the best, and I will be coming back here as a supporter and cheering the lads, coming to the training ground and seeing the boys.

“Lee Charnley was great with that.

“He said: ‘Look, you’re welcome back whenever you want.’

“For him to say that, I don’t think he’s said that to many players who’ve left the club.”

CAN BENITEZ LEAD NEWCASTLE BACK TO THE TOP FLIGHT?

“I think the fans see it for themselves, that kind of aura he brings to the changing room, to the players at the training ground.

“He’s got the fear factor of his office there – you put your head down going past, and you don’t have any joking on.

“It’s very serious work down at the training ground, very professional.

“He wants the best, he has high standards.

“He’s worked at top clubs and he knows what works.

“For us now, I just wish he had had a bit more time.

“I do honestly believe if he’d had a bit more time, we would have stayed up.

“But Newcastle do 100-per-cent have the best man for the job, the fans absolutely love him.

“It’s similar to the sort of love we had for Sir Bobby Robson when he was here.

“Newcastle will hopefully get back to where they should be.”

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU?

“Who knows? I’m excited for my future.

“It’s something to look forward to.

“We’ll play it by ear and take it one day at a time.

“We’ll not jump the gun.”

WILL YOU RETURN TO ST JAMES’ PARK AS A FAN?

“Absolutely, 100 per cent.

“I’ll be floating around the changing rooms and the training ground, seeing everyone who’s linked to this club.

“From everyone who’s there at the training ground – the medical staff, the masseurs, the kitmen over the years, I’m going to miss them.

“On a day-to-day basis, there’s so many names.

“I couldn’t thank them honestly enough because I’m still signing.”

Do you have a departing message for Newcastle fans?

“Stick behind Rafa Benitez. Stick behind the boys.

“Let’s get back up first time.”