Royals striker still has something to give

Despite missing five months of the season last campaign, Jason Roberts still feels that he has something to offer the Royals.

The 35-year old still has one-year left on his contract at the Madejski Stadium and Roberts isn’t content to let it just run out, he wants to play a part in the upcoming season. The former Blackburn striker played his last Reading game against Southampton back at the start of December, but a hip operation ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.

Speaking to the Reading Post, Roberts said: ‘The injury meant that I didn`t play as much as I would have liked to but I`ve been working hard with the club`s physios to try and get fit. I`m working hard to get myself back fit for next season. It`s hard to put a date on when I`ll be back exactly but I hope to be available for the start.’

‘I`m very positive in that and looking forward to the challenge of helping Reading get promoted next year. We tried to avoid the operation as much as possible but in the end it was necessary and it was very successful. So I`ve got to do the hard work now – the hours in the gym and the little exercises – to get my hip strong again.’

Will Roberts recreate the same heroics he did nearly one-and-a-half years ago here? I have my doubts. He is a great guy to have about the place, but I can’t see him getting beyond Pog, Alfie or a new forward. Roberts suited McDermott’s system perfectly, but I’m not sure that he blends in that well with Adkins’ style of play.

Wiki page: Jason Roberts