Kate Taylor

#3 KATE TAYLOR – DOB 21/10/03

> History

Kate Taylor has been a key player for the Phoenix since joining the women’s team for their maiden season in Australia, days after her 18^th birthday.

The centre back was the Nix’s vice-captain in their inaugural campaign and helped guide the team to breakthrough wins over Canberra United and Western Sydney Wanderers.

Taylor started 13 of Wellington’s 14 matches in the 2021-22 season, sitting out one match due to injury, and her performances led to her being called into the Football Ferns for the first time.

She made her senior international bow off the bench against Norway in June 2022 before captaining the Junior Football Ferns at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.

Taylor had previously represented New Zealand at under-17 level but the Covid-19 pandemic scuppered her chances of playing at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Before joining the Phoenix, she played for Canterbury United Pride and was part of the Pride side that won a third straight national title in 2020.

> 2022-23 A-League season

Kate Taylor re-signed with the Phoenix in July 2022 before leading the Junior Football Ferns in Costa Rica. She started all three of New Zealand’s matches, with the Ferns drawing against Colombia and Mexico but losing to Germany to miss out on place in the quarterfinals.

Taylor made 12 appearances for the Phoenix in their second season. She led the team in their opening two matches in the absence of club captain Lily Alfeld, before missing the Nix’s next five matches with a foot injury.

Known for her distribution from the back, she finished top of the league for long passes per 90 minutes, was sixth in the competition for progressive passes per 90, and showcased her versatility by starting in midfield against Sydney FC at North Harbour Stadium in February.

Taylor scored the only goal in the Phoenix’s historic 1-0 win over the eventual champions in Sydney in March.

She played a further six internationals for the Football Ferns from September 2022 to February 2023, including making her first start against Portugal, and took part in the exhaustive nine-week training camp for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Taylor narrowly missed out on New Zealand’s final 23-strong squad for the tournament, but was one of the team’s three training partners during the World Cup.