PKR Svay Rieng continue signing spree with American Nick Taylor

PKR Svay Rieng head coach Conor Nestor has continued his pending spree with the acquisition of American Winger Nick Taylor, who recently became a free agent after leaving Orlando City of Major League Soccer.

Im very excited to have completed this transfer! I think there is a lot of quality here in the CPL and I wanted to challenge myself against Cambodia’s best. It will be a journey that will push my limits both on and off the pitch. I believe PKRSV has a very professional environment and a strong winning mentality and I will do my best to help the team achieve all the goals we have set out for this upcoming season.

To read about the Phnom Penh Crown signing of Shintaro Shimizu click here.

Who is Nick Taylor?

Despite being just 24 Taylor has a wealth of experience in the lower leagues of the American football pyramid, and was considered enough a talent to be signed by top-tier Orlando City in 2022.

A talented winger, he played 22 games for the Orlando City B (OCB) during 2022, after which he became out of contract. And now despite being courted by a number of local clubs has decided to make the journey to PKR Svay Rieng and Cambodia. So, is the CPL a step up, down, or sideways?

To read about the Cambodian Premier League click here.

The most exciting strike force in CPL 1?

As to how the move fits into the players career long serving Svay Rieng coach Conor Nestor was not only forthright about how good it would be for Taylor and the club, but also Khmer football in general, telling us:

“Nick is a young professional who wants to learn and progress in his career. He has chosen to come to our club because we are a full time professional club despite some reports in the media we are a higher level than the reserve league in America. The first step in improving Khmer football is to believe in it. Nick is here because he believes, time for some media outlets and some fans to get on board and believe also”

Better promotion and indeed belief in Khmer football has been a bone of contention for not only managers, but also fans and even media, with many feeling these options “helped” with the removal of Coach Honda last year.

As for PKR Svay Rieng, who were bitterly pipped to the post last year by Phnom Penh Crown? This marks their 3rd major signing of a forward since the end of the 2022 season, with them also picking up the Brazilian pair of Iago and Gabriel from a hapless Angkor Tiger (who also lost Mouzinho).

More importantly though perhaps, they have also managed to keep hold of CPL top scorer Markus Haber giving them perhaps the most exciting front line heading into the upcoming Cambodian League Cup.