Taylor Regan has shared his remarkable football journey which started and will finish at Charlestown Azzurri.
Regan started at the club as an 11-year-old and has returned home 22 years later after winning the Australia Cup and a number of awards following a professional football career at the Newcastle Jets, Adelaide United and overseas.
"It's been a roller coaster. I grew up 200 metres from Lisle Carr Oval and now I've settled literally 200 metres away with my wife," Regan said.
"Charlestown Azzurri is a club that's been close to my heart from a very young age."
"It started at Highfields Azzurri, which is basically Charlestown Azzurri and now that's where it's ending.
"From the age of 11 I played in the under-13s at the Azzurri and then played for the Newcastle Jets youth team before it was disbanded and all of the players returned to NPL clubs."
It was Lake Macquarie City's coach Steve Piggott who gave Regan his first shot at NPL senior football at the tender age of 15.
"I made my first grade NPL debut with Azzurri at the age of 15 under Steve Piggott. He said I was young but come and train with us,” Regan said.
"I was lucky enough to get an opportunity in pre-season and I kept my place in the first grade team ever since.
"Piggo had success at Azzurri over the years, many years ago, nearly 20 years ago.”
Word travels fast with impressive first grade performances in the NPL as a teenager peaking the interest of the Newcastle Jets.
"The Jets youth team started in about 2009. I went there as part of the inaugural youth leagues season under Craig Deans and Jimmy Pascoe,” Regan said.
"Funnily enough, he's my coach now at Azzurri.
"I trained in the youth system for a couple of years before being lucky enough to sign a contract with the Newcastle Jets first team in 2010. I spent the best part of five years there."
During five years at the Jets Regan was named the 'Men of Football' Player of the Year and the Members Player of the Year and captained the team he grew up supporting.
But it was not always smooth sailing as Regan shared some of the obstacles he faced.
"I had two accolades over that period but there were some tough times under adverse owners and conditions. But overall, yeah, it was not too bad,” Regan said.
After five years at the Jets, Regan's career lost direction.
"After the Jets I didn't kick a ball for six months. I was boxing every day with a trainer,” Regan said.
" I thought my A-League career was over and I was going to end up back in the NPL.
"I got married, I was a little bit arrogant, thinking that I could demand more money, or I could earn more money by going overseas.
"But it didn't work out that way. I spent a lot of time in the gym to keep my body ticking over. I thought maybe the football career was coming to an end.”
A phone call out of the blue lifted Regan from the doldrums and he jetted to Asia.
"But I was lucky enough to get a phone call from overseas,” Regan said.
"Gary Phillips called me and asked if would I be interested in going to Malaysia. He was in Malaysia coaching and he wanted me to go over with him.
"So myself, Andrew Nabbout, Joel Chianese and Alex Smith signed with him in Malaysia. We spent 12 months there, it was a rollercoaster but I really enjoyed it and it made me grow as a player.”
The stint in Malaysia earned Regan a recall to the A-League where he lifted the Australia Cup with Adelaide United.
"It wasn't until the end of that season Adelaide United asked me to join them and I was there for three years.” Regan said.
"It was probably three of the most enjoyable years of my football career if I'm completely honest. We won the Australia Cup and we had plenty of success.
"But overall, the environment in Adelaide is something I would love to see in Newcastle one day given the right opportunity.
"Winning the Australia Cup was a high point in my career, especially when you see the amount of teams that participate in it.
"Before kick-off, the kids walked out with a flag representing every team that participated in the competition.
"You almost couldn't see the pitch, so many teams involved, the competition literally starts in the community and in the parks where we grew up kicking a ball, that was pretty special.
"That will definitely stay in the memory bank for a long time.”
Regan then returned to Asia to play in the Malaysia Premier League in front of massive crowds.
"After Adelaide, I went overseas again for another three or four years, spent some time at some big clubs in Malaysia playing in front of 70,000 to 80,000 people,” Regan said.
"Then it was time to come home and COVID hit.
"There was a tragedy within our family and it was time to come home, so I decided I'm going to come back to Azzurri.”
But there was one last twist to when the Newcastle Jets gaffer sent an SOS to Regan.
"And then Arthur Papas called and said, you still look fit enough, can you go around for me for six months,” Regan said.
"So I said yes and after that six months I returned to Azzurri. I've always had an affiliation with the club. It didn't matter who was the coach I was always going to come back here.”
Regan reflected on some of the attributes that helped his football career grow.
"Growing up, every kid who plays football wants to do it for a living, because it's obviously such a great lifestyle,” Regan said.
"What we see and read in the media makes it look very enticing. There were tough times, it was not always so easy. I wasn't the most naturally gifted player or anything like that. I had to work hard for everything, that makes it more rewarding.
"I was never the biggest, strongest, or most technically gifted but my determination kind of got me there. I still had a life outside of football and I think that balance actually allowed me to ride the highs and the lows of the game.
"There was a period I had long blonde hair down to my shoulders and I wanted to be a surfer. But it's not always sunshine, but it's been good, that's for sure."
Regan attributes his development into an elite footballer to an active childhood outdoors.
"I think this day and age, we see a lot more social media and indoor activities," Regan said.
"When I was a kid I was outside in rain, hail or shine. Whether it be riding a bike or playing rugby league in the mud with mates.
"Whatever it was, I was outside and a large portion of that was going down the oval with mates to kick a football.
"These days there are more training sessions, back then we didn't have that. If you were playing at an elite level, you train twice a week in the afternoon, so you had a lot more spare time to actually hone in your individual skills and progression within the game.
"Whereas now we're very much in a controlled environment. You know, Newcastle Jets kids are doing four sessions a week in the mornings, which is great, but what are they doing in the afternoon?
"Can they potentially get another session or two in or work on something that makes them a better player? That's what sets players apart, those ones willing to do those extra little things and I guess that's what I did.
"Outside getting fitness from riding bikes, physicality from playing mud footy against bigger kids and getting my nose broken at the age of 12.
"Those things held me in good stead for years to come.”
Regan applauded the importance of playing footy in the park.
"Playing with mates in the park you pick up skills subconsciously, you don't even realise it and when you're around older kids you need to learn to adapt,” Regan said.
"You see these street footballers that come out of Brazil, there's a reason why Brazilians create so many footballers.
"It's their way out of poverty, they have a reason and a dedication that they have to do it for their family.
"We don't have to in Australia, we're pretty privileged."
Regan has been prolific at both ends of the field in the 2023 NPL Men’s Northern NSW competition.
Among other things he has been dominant in the air and provided tips to any players aspiring to improve the skill.
"I think there's two aspects to heading. In defence, it is just determination. You must have that mentality to win the ball and it doesn't actually matter where it goes, as long as it goes out of the box,” Regan said.
"Scoring a goal in the air is different. I strongly believe playing rugby league and AFL with mates helped me,” Regan said.
"It's about timing and jumping, leaping and taking different actions that create the jumping mode that improves timing and that competitiveness.
"But now we don't practice heading enough at junior level.
"I think defensively, heading the ball is just an attitude and a commitment to help your team and defence.
"But in the front third, it's timing, all those little aspects reading the flight of the ball, timing your jump and technique to score a goal. But it's practicing at home.
"It's fighting for a high ball, whether it be rugby league or whatever, it's that competitive nature in jumping and trying to be the best you can be and win.
"These days if we do practice heading it's just standing still, it's not necessarily competitive, which is how we grew up as kids.”
Regan provided sage advice to juniors wanting to improve and take the next step on their football journey.
"It depends on the age group. I always found as a kid juggling was so important from a young age.” Regan said.
"Lots of touches on the ball, juggling as much as I can.
"But when I reached 15 and 16, juggling became quite easy.
"Rondos are good, lots of touches on the ball, put one player in the middle. Four versus one, all these little aspects create us to be better players and get a competitive environment.
"I think it's something we get away from and I hate to say it, it is about having fun, right? But we also have to create winners not just for grassroots football but for senior football. Participating is great, but there has to be a winner and creating that winning mentality.
"Start your rondos not wanting to be the one in the middle, start juggling wanting to juggle more than your teammate. Those little competitive things, it is about improving and being the best you can be.
"If we don't push each other, how do we ever improve?"
Charlestown Azzurri are top of the NPL Men's NNSW table and Regan has been colossal at the back and prominent in attack.
"This year under Pascoe we're starting to tick," Regan said.
"I mean it's still early days and we've got a few tough games ahead of us.
"But overall yeah, it's been a good start and I'm just happy to be giving back to the club that gave me my first start.”