VETERAN defender Taylor Regan is set for a fairytale swansong with his home-town club after being thrown an A-League lifeline by the Newcastle Jets.
The Jets have made their first investment of the January transfer window, signing Regan for the rest of the season, seven years after he parted company with them to link with Adelaide United.
The 33-year-old has most recently been playing professionally in Malaysia, making 80 appearances for Sarawak United and Selangor FC.
Before that, he played in 96 A-League games - 66 for Newcastle and 30 for Adelaide - and established himself as a crowd favourite with both clubs. His last appearance in the A-League was for Adelaide in April, 2018.
Regan said it was a dream come true to get another chance to pull on Newcastle's trademark gold jersey.
"There was some interest from other clubs around the A-League, but nowhere compares to home," he said.
"You can't beat playing in front of friends and family. Those are my best memories. I know so many familiar faces when I look into those stands."
He said that after speaking to long-serving Jets Jason Hoffman and Ben Kantarovski, who are also local juniors, he was excited to be part of a new era under coach Arthur Papas.
The towering stopper will strengthen Newcastle's defensive depth and provide crucial back-up for skipper Matt Jurman and Jordan Elsey as the club deals with a backlog of postponed games that are likely to be re-scheduled as midweek fixtures.
"I'm not coming into the squad and expecting to walk into the first team, but I will be here to put pressure on them," Regan said.
"Hopefully they keep improving, keep working hard and make Newcastle proud.
"That's the type of leadership role I want to bring here."
Papas said a player of Regan's quality and experience would be a welcome addition to Newcastle's roster.
"Taylor is a local who has grown up supporting the Newcastle Jets and understands what the community is truly about and therefore we are delighted to bring him back to the club," Papas said.
"Taylor adds competition and depth on the field as well as being an asset off the field both to the team and whole organisation"
A Dudley-Redhead junior, Regan played senior football for Highfields Azzurri before he was recruited by the Jets, captaining their youth team until he eventually made his A-League debut in 2010.
He was awarded the Ray Baartz Medal after season 2012-13 as Newcastle's player of the year and skippered the club during a turbulent time under the coaching of Phil Stubbins in 2015.
After having six games deferred because of the coronavirus, the Jets hope to return to action against Regan's former Adelaide teammates on January 30.
