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Noel Hunt Immediately Replaces Selles

Noel Hunt has immediately been appointed as Reading FC's new first team manager after Ruben Selles left for Championship strugglers Hull City. As soon as Selles was out of the door, Hunt signed a two and a half year contract to keep him as manager until the summer of 2027. This time around the Royals avoided the usual weeks of speculation and had clearly already made arrangements for Hunt to step in well before Selles move to Hull was made official. Hunt is a natural appointment for the club, moving into the role from his previous job as Under 21 team manager and is already being a very familiar face at Reading FC after his playing days as a striker for the Royals. Hunt was also caretaker manager at the end of the 2023/2024 season after Paul Ince was sacked, and oversaw five matches as team manager which included three draws and two defeats.

After retiring from a long and successful playing career which included spells at Dundee United, Reading, Leeds, Ipswich, Portsmouth and Wigan he took his coaching qualifications and was assistant manager at Swindon Town and Doncaster Rovers. Nearly three years ago he came back to the club where he played his best football to manage Reading's under 21s. Reading have relied on their academy players stepping up into the first team in recent seasons, and there is no one that knows them better than Noel Hunt.

Noel will take charge of the Royals for tomorrow's visit to Wycombe Wanderers in the League and will be hoping to continue Reading's good form that has been them move into the play-off positions.

From the Discussion

  • PT Pepe the Horseman 6 Dec 2024 · 8:35pm

    Deserves his own thread. Straight at it on a perm basis, with lots of years and lots of zeros. Done a cracking job with the kids, so no reason he can't continue Ruben's good work. No period of uncertainty so we can get behind him straight away, and hopefully will settle the squad too. I'm feeling good about this guys x

  • WI windermereROYAL 6 Dec 2024 · 8:41pm

    Wonder who his back room staff will be.

  • AT AthleticoSpizz 6 Dec 2024 · 8:42pm

    an bas

  • PT Pepe the Horseman 6 Dec 2024 · 8:43pm

    Savage?

  • PT Pepe the Horseman 6 Dec 2024 · 8:44pm

    Brynjar Gunnarsson and Brian McDermott.

  • CR Crowbar6753 6 Dec 2024 · 8:48pm

    Now wouldn't that be just amazing!!

  • TR The Royal Forester 6 Dec 2024 · 9:19pm

    Would they be willing to work here for nothing. though?

  • PT Pepe the Horseman 6 Dec 2024 · 9:25pm

    Presumably we were paying Ruben and his staff.

  • UK Uke 6 Dec 2024 · 10:33pm

    Confimred FFS! Newbie

  • SC SCIAG 6 Dec 2024 · 10:48pm

    I'll get in early. Hunt is a very good coach. When you watch him leading warm-ups, it's clear he has a good relationship with the players. He's enthusiastic while also being serious. Gives players good tips on how to use their bodies or what to do with their first touch. I don't think he's got a tactical bone in his body. Some of this is maybe that young players aren't as good at following tactical plans, although we've had well-drilled young teams in the past. And this season the U21s have been just as starved of players as the first team, often playing with no recognised striker and a midfielder at right-back out of necessity.… More

  • PT Pepe the Horseman 6 Dec 2024 · 10:50pm

    I thought it was interchangeable

  • AS Ascotexgunner 6 Dec 2024 · 11:14pm

    Think this probably sums it up well enough.

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