Cambodian-American football player Nick Taylor has officially been signed to Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC for the first time after returning to Cambodia.
On Saturday, Christopher Grant, general manager of PKR Svay Rieng FC, signed a contract with Nick Taylor, who will play for Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC in the Cambodian Premier League after leaving Orlando City B in the United States.
Nick Taylor, a Cambodian-American football player, told Kiripost that his motivation for joining PKR Svay Rieng is to compete against the best Cambodia has to offer in the Cambodian Premier League (CPL).
“I want to come to a club that has a very professional environment, and a club that wants to win games and wants to compete for titles and trophies, and wants to be the best,” he said.
Cambodian-American Footballer’s Pride Playing for the Nation
In PKR Svay Rieng FC, Nick believes he will play many different positions. However, he hopes to play higher up the field in attack.
“So I can help my team score goals, whether that's me scoring the goal, providing assistance or creating the play,” he said.
Nick expects to learn many things at Svay Rieng, not only on the pitch but also off it. He is also excited to learn more about Cambodian football, including positions and habits, he added.
“The coach and staff at Svay Rieng will help me develop and improve on and then off the pitch,” he said. “I expect to learn more about Cambodian culture and I plan on learning the language,” he said.
“I have my Khmer tutor to help me speak. I am excited to play with and against my national teammates,” he added.
As he wants the best for his team, Nick believes he will be able to contribute in many different areas.
“No matter what it is, whether I'm playing or not. If I'm playing, I want to contribute, as I said in the attacking half, to score goals, give assists,” he said. “But I can also play on the other side of the ball and help defend and prevent goals from being scored, and then off the pitch as well.”
Moreover, he hopes to assist and lead the younger players with less experience and contribute a different perspective on football that he learned while playing his entire life in the United States.
“And see if I can combine my knowledge with the knowledge of CPL and staff at Svay Rieng to hopefully bring a different perspective, a winning attitude, and a winning vision towards our games and towards the season,” he said.
In 2022, Nick Taylor made five appearances for the Cambodia national team, including three official AFF Cup games and two international friendlies. Additionally, he scored once for the Cambodian national team.
Conor Nestor, head coach of Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng football club, said the team is excited that Nick chose them for the next step in his career. Even if he is still young, they believe in him, he added.
“He is still young and lacks the experience of playing in a top division, so he will need time to adapt,” he said. “However, we believe in his potential and will work to help him reach it.”
He added that Nick has many technical qualities. Additionally, he has good crossing skills and a talent for seeing and playing creative passes.
“He can use both his left and right foot to shoot on goal, which is rare,” he said. “However, he has only one season as a professional and that was in MLS Next, which is a reserve league [not a top league], so he will need guidance from the staff and our senior players to help him adjust.”
