West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of eSports player Danny Taylor.
PS4 player Taylor has played online competitive FIFA for over ten years, and is making his first move into club eSports with the Hammers.
“I’m absolutely buzzing to be given an opportunity like this,” Taylor told whufc.com: “I’m a long-term player, and have been playing online competitively since FIFA08, but this is the first time I’ve stepped into the professional environment of actually representing a football club.
I'm absolutely buzzing to be given an opportunity like this...It's massive for me and it's something I've always wanted to do
Danny Taylor
“I’ve always just represented myself, and made it to a few world finals, but this is the first time I’ve ever stepped up to this level. It’s massive for me and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
“I’ve watched my competitors get deals over the years and I’ve wished I could join them, and now I’m finally doing it. It’s finally happened.
Taylor joins Jamie ‘Jamboo’ Rigden in playing professional FIFA for West Ham United, with Taylor specialising in PS4, while Jamboo plays Xbox One.
It will an immediate call to action for Taylor and his new teammate, with the duo preparing to represent the Irons in the FIFA eClub World Cup qualification group stages.
“Qualification for the FIFA eClub World Cup is starting really soon, and I can’t wait to get into it for West Ham,” Taylor continued.
“I think it’s much better to be getting straight into it, to be fair, rather than just waiting around for my first game and to get my first result on the board. I just want to do my very best for the Hammers, and I’m looking forward to showing the fans what I can do.”