ENGLAND newcomer Steven Taylor feels Sam Allardyce has successfully eradicated the disruptive egos in the Newcastle United dressing room and that the good times will soon be back at St James' Park.

Taylor has been saddened by the Magpies' decline since Sir Bobby Robson departed, when relegation was not out of the question during the reigns of Graeme Souness and Glenn Roeder.

However, after an unbeaten start to Allardyce's Newcastle tenure, the centre-back is convinced the feel-good factor around the training ground is a sign of brighter things to come.

Having supported Newcastle since childhood, Taylor still regards Kevin Keegan's days as the halcyon days when the city became enveloped in the team.

The 22-year-old has experienced the changes at close hand under the new regime and believes Allardyce has managed to offload the right players and recruit perfect replacements.

Kieron Dyer, Titus Bramble and Scott Parker are among those to have departed since the former Bolton man took charge, while the likes of David Rozehnal, Geremi and Alan Smith have signed up.

"We have a great squad now and it's probably the best squad we have had here since the Keegan days," said Taylor.

"I was on the terraces then but there's something about this squad now that I'm sure will take this club forward. I definitely believe that.

"We have players here that really want to play for this club and it's not all about the money anymore.

"In the recent past people have said that the players were paid too much, the players here now are really concerned with working hard for each other. That's it, that's why we have started to get results."

Sunday's 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough means Newcastle have taken five points from their opening three matches.

"We might have got a draw on Sunday but we were in a position where we were going to win twice," said Taylor, who should be joined in the Newcastle squad by Bolton's Abdoulaye Faye this week. "

We couldn't even do that last year. Our away record was very poor.

"There was a lot of lads who got stick from the fans at the training ground last season so it was a difficult experience when we were out there training.

"We did not get the performances we would have expected from top quality players. Now we all play together. The gaffer has drilled that mentality into us since he got here."

Taylor's reward for a bright start to life under Allardyce and a summer of personal heroics for the Under-21s was a few days with England last week.

It ended with him sitting on the bench for the 2-1 defeat to Germany last Wednesday and he wants more involvement with the Three Lions.

Taylor said: "The good thing for me is that there are so many top, quality players at this club. So for me to be mixing with such good players on the training ground every day is a great grounding.

"I'm not a person who will get big headed about these things. I know I have a lot to work on.

"I'm young but I'm very ambitious and whatever is thrown at me I'm prepared for it.

"When I got down there it was just an amazing feeling for me to be mixing with the John Terrys and David Beckhams of this world. To be on the training field with that quality was a tremendous feeling."

Allardyce has also been linked with another midfielder, Atletico Madrid's Peter Luccin, who is also being tracked by Birmingham and Benfica.