Hammond emphasises player opportunities

Reading’s Director of Football Nicky Hammond has said that every player will get their chance to shine in pre-season.

Competition for places at the Madejski Stadium is very much increasing. The signing of Garath McCleary means that the Royals have four capable wingers considering the likes of Jobi McAnuff, Jimmy Kebe and Hal Robson-Kanu. The imminent signing of Pavel Pogrebynak is also likely to increase competition between Noel Hunt, Adam Le Fondre, Simon Church and Jason Roberts.

When speaking to the Reading Post, Hammond said: “It`s been a long summer and we are very keen to get the squad back together and have a good look at where everyone is. With Premier League football ahead of us the players will all want to make their mark and get the most out of what is set to be a very exciting season at Reading.”

This increased competition for places is likely to mean some squad players departing to gain valuable loan experience. Michail Antonio is not expected to play a huge part in first-team affairs, with Sheffield Wednesday still very much interested in his services. Welsh international Simon Church is also attracting interest from many Championship clubs.