Harte signs new RFC deal

Reading defender Ian Harte has extended his contract at the club by another year.

The 34-year old’s current deal was set to run out this summer but after helping the Royals to promotion back to the Premier League, a new deal for Harte was always on the radar. The former Leeds left back has scored five goals this season, the most memorable being a superb free kick against Middlesbrough in February and the winning goal against Brighton at the Amex Stadium in April.

McDermott told the official Reading FC site: ‘That tells you everything you need to know about the person, the player, his resilience, his character, his determination and his quality. He still has that burning desire in training every day to play at the highest level. So I’m delighted that Ian has signed a new contract. If you consider that two years ago Ian had been written off in certain quarters, and yet now he is a Premier League player again.’

Harte signed from League One outfit Carlisle United in the summer of 2010 for a fee around £100,000. He has scored 15 goals in 72 games for Brian McDermott’s side, the best goal scoring ratio of his entire career. The former Republic of Ireland international has also been voted into the PFA Championship team of the year for the second consecutive year, being voted into the XI by his peers.