(Image by JasonPIX)

2008/09:

Noel Hunt; July 23.

The current manager was the first signing in Steve Coppell’s final season at Reading, and his name is vitally important to the club now.

Joining from Dundee United, the Irishman worked alongside his brother for one overlap season and won the Championship in 2012.

The forward scored 39 goals in 162 games before retiring from a number of teams and returning to coach the Under-21s in 2022.

The fan favourite has served as interim manager for the past three years and is now, of course, in charge.

2009/10:

Ryan Bertrand; July 19.

The future England international, the first on the list who was not a permanent signing, had a significant influence on loan.

The left-back played 51 times for Reading and made his Chelsea debut in the 2012 Champions League final, but he was most prominent with Southampton between 2014 and 2021.

The 35-year-old had a very accomplished career, earning 19 England caps and representing Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.

2010/11:

Marcus Williams; May 11.

Williams, a Scunthorpe icon with than a decade of experience, joined Reading in May 2010, but struggled to hold down the left-back position against Ian Harte.

The 39-year-old made five appearances during his long career in the EFL, which was primarily based in Yorkshire.

(Image by JasonPIX)

2011/12:

Mikel Leigertwood; June 1

 

‘Ledge’, a simple signing for the Royals at the time, made 22 loan appearances for the club in 2010/11 before returning permanently in the summer of 2011.

The seasoned midfielder scored the goal that propelled the team to the Premier League that season and made over 100 appearances for the club before retiring with a knee injury in 2014.

Over a decade later, the Antiguan served as Under-18s coach before moving on to manage the first squad alongside old teammate Hunt.

2012/13:

Garath McCleary: May 16

McCleary, a winger who had impressed in over a century of appearances for Nottingham Forest, joined the Premier League Royals on a free transfer just weeks after winning promotion.

The Jamaican international played for the club for nearly a decade and scored some memorable goals before joining Wycombe Wanderers, where he is still going strong at the age of 38.

2013/14:

Wayne Bridge; June 7.

Bridge, a former England international, had a successful career with Chelsea and Manchester City before joining Nigel Adkins’ side.

Bridge had been named to Brighton and Hove Albion’s Championship Team of the Season in 2012/13, thus there were high expectations for him in Reading.

Unfortunately, injuries intervened, and his 12 appearances for the club marked the end of his career.

2014/15:

Simon Cox; August 7.

Cox, a lifelong Reading supporter who was in and around the squad as the club rocketed into the Premier League in 2005, went on to impress with Swindon Town and West Bromwich Albion before winning international recognition with Ireland.

Cox, a Tilehurst native, had an emotional homecoming in 2014, finishing as the joint top scorer in his debut season.

He eventually left Berkshire in 2016 for a highly successful tenure at Southend United, where he scored nine goals in 69 games.

2015/16:

Orlando SA; June 29

A Portugal international who impressed the supporters upon signing from Legia Warsaw, the forward fell out of favour quickly and barely completed one of his three contracted seasons.

He left the club with five goals in 21 appearances, three of which came on the same night that the Royals crushed Ipswich Town 5-1.

2016/17:

Joey Van Den Berg; June 28

During the Dutch revolution at Reading in 2016, Roy Beerens and Danzell Gravenberch joined Jaap Stam and Brian Tevreden at the club. Van den Berg became a cult favourite.

The dynamic midfielder, known for his aggressive tackling, made 68 games for the club and was a regular for two full seasons.

2017/18:

Pelle Clement; June 28.

Exactly a year after Stam’s first Dutch signing, Clement joined after excelling with Ajax’s youth squad.

Clement made only 29 appearances with the Royals, mostly for the younger teams, but has been a regular in the Eredivisie after his departure in 2019.

(Photo: JasonPIX)

2018–19:

Andy Yiadom, 17 May

The Ghanaian international, who was a regular for Barnsley during their 2017–18 relegation, moved for free to Berkshire that spring and stayed there.

After seven years and more than 200 games, the full-back is still fighting a chronic injury to make a comeback for the Royals at the close of the previous campaign.

Could the 33-year-old sign a contract for an eighth year during negotiations?

2019–20:

Virginia, Joao; July 11

The 25-year-old goalie, who had played for teams like Arsenal and Everton, joins Reading on loan in 2019. There were only three appearances after that. Despite making eight appearances for the Toffees, he is a free agent and has chosen not to sign a new contract.

2020–2021:

Dates of the transfer window changed because of the COVID-19 restart

2021/22:

Dele-Bashiru, Tom; 12 August

The Watford midfielder, who was a young player for Manchester City, was a regular and scored four goals in 39 games while on loan with the Royals in 2021–2022.

The 25-year-old has played in almost 80 Hornets games, including 30 last season, since returning to Vicarage Road.

2022–2023:

Lumley, Joe; June 19

In 2022, Lumley, a seasoned goalie who had lost favour with Middlesbrough, went back to the South-East on loan.

Despite his rare clanger, Lumley was a regular with 42 appearances in his one season and won the followers.

The 30-year-old, who moved to Southampton, made eight appearances in two years before being let go.

(Photo: JasonPIX)

2023–2024:

Knibbs, Harvey; July 13

Two years ago, Knibbs and Cambridge United forward Sam Smith were the first of many to leave amid a backdrop of financial difficulties and uncertainty off the pitch.

Two years later, the team’s most popular star, who finished as the team’s leading scorer the previous season, has made 100 appearances.

2024–2025:

Campbell, Chem; August 30

Campbell, the lone addition from the previous summer, was a regular throughout the season after joining on loan from Wolves.

There are several rumours that he might also be the first summer signing.

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