Work Experience For Young Duo

Reading have allowed youngsters Simon Cox and James Henry to join Northampton Town and Nottingham Forest respectively, on short-term loan deals.

Explosive striker Simon Cox has already spent two spells with Brentford this season and drops down to League One again for a stint with The Cobblers.

He has made just one substitute appearance for The Royals this term and is looking forward to playing for Northampton Town.

‘It’s another chance for me to go out and get valuable league experience and knock some goals in,’ Cox declared.

‘The first spell at Brentford I really enjoyed, but it was cut short because of the fracture of my fibula. I then re-joined them after the injury and played more games, although we weren’t winning many.

‘This time at Northampton, hopefully I’ll score a few goals and win a few games. I know Alex Pearce well – he came through the same ranks as me – so that should make it easy for me to go there. Having Alex there will help me settle in.’

Northampton boss Stuart Gray admits he has been tracking Cox’s progress and was happy to take him to Sixfields.

Gray said, ‘Simon is a good young player and a great prospect. He is a striker and I’m very grateful to Reading for letting him come out on loan to us.

‘I’ve seen him play a lot for Reading’s reserves and hopefully he will have as big an impact here as Alex Pearce has had.’

Teenage midfielder James Henry has himself joined Nottingham Forest on loan. The 17-year-old is expected to spend the remainder of the season at the City Ground and joins Forest as they bid to win automatic promotion from League One.

Henry is yet to make his bow for Reading and admits he is now hoping to impress for Colin Calderwood’s side.

‘It’s a great opportunity for me to gain some experience of first-team football,’ said Henry.

‘Forest are a massive club and they’re only four points behind Bristol City for an automatic promotion space, so they are going to be really competitive games in front of big crowds – I’m really looking forward to that.

‘Hopefully I can go and have an influence on their season by playing well for them.

‘It’s a month loan with a view to perhaps extending until the end of the season.

‘It’s going to be totally different for me being involved in games which mean a huge deal to the fans and club.’