The OBSERVER continues to feature some of the leading players ahead of the friendly international between the Reggae Boyz and Costa Rica at the National Stadium on Sunday, September 5. Today we take a look at defender Jermaine Taylor.

JERMAINE Taylor was born on January 14, 1985. He is an immensely talented player who can operate both in central defence and in central midfield.

While he was largely unknown to the rest of Jamaica, he had earned a name for himself as a teenager in Eastern Jamaica where he played for St Georges SC alongside brother Ricardo before the club made its way to the country’s top flight football.

The talented player represented St George’s SC in Portland before joining his elder cousin Fabian (former Jamaica forward) at Harbour View.

Following the move to Harbour View, the former St Mary Technical High player was picked on the country’s Under-20 team where he formed an impressive partnership with Rudolph Austin.

Continued impressive displays saw him being rewarded with his senior team debut and he fitted in like a duck to water.

Continued impressive displays saw him being rewarded with his senior team debut and he fitted in like a duck to water.

Jermaine Taylor was part of that successful Jamaica team that won the 2004-05 Caribbean Cup as Jamaica went unbeaten throughout that tournament.

He subsequently got selected in the 2005 Gold Cup squad to partner in defence the likes of Claude Davis and Damion Stewart.

In 2007, Taylor was part of the team that won the Lunar New Year Cup in Hong Kong. He also scored in the penalty shoot-out in the final of that tournament.

In 2008, Rene Simoes used Taylor during the ‘road games’ in the Word Cup qualifiers. After the qualifiers he never played for Harbour View and was out of action for a number of months.

During this time he missed the 2008 Caribbean Cup, key friendlies and the 2009 Gold Cup. Finally, after 11 months without a cap with the national team, he was summoned for friendlies against Ecuador, St Kitts and South Africa. In 2010, Taylor played games against Canada, Argentina, South Africa and Trinidad and he put on great performances in those games.

Against Canada he was able to hold off the likes of Ali Gerba and Will Johnson. He was once referred to as the next Ian ‘Pepe’ Goodison.

At 25 years old, he still can try to fit into Goodison’s shoes and he now has the opportunity against Costa Rica to prove that he deserves to be at the top of the pecking order. Jermaine Taylor has the tools to deliver, so now is his chance to shine.