Reading have finally confirmed the appointment of ex-Southampton boss Rubén Sellés as their new manager, as stated on their official website.
The Royals have confirmed that the Spaniard has now officially joined the club as they were initially awaiting the approval of his work visa, which was approved on Tuesday evening.
The 40-year-old now has the job of getting the Royals back to the Championship following their relegation to League One at the end of last season.
📰 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃!
We are delighted to announce that Rubén Sellés has now completed the paperwork on a contract to become first team manager of the Royals.
It’s official… Rubén is a Royal. 👑
— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) July 14, 2023
Who is Rubén Sellés?
Born in Valencia, the Spaniard qualified for his UEFA Pro Licence at the age of 25, having completed a master’s degree in Sports and Physiology.
Spells in Greece, Russia, Norway, Azerbaijan and Denmark followed, where Sellés and David Neilsen helped Danish club Aarhus GF have their best league finish in 20 years as he helped them qualify for European competition.
It was last season where the Spaniard stepped foot on English soil for the first time, joining Premier League side Southampton as assistant manager to Ralph Hasenhüttl. With the Austrian sacked just five months after he joined, Selles was put in caretaker charge until the arrival of ex-Luton Town boss Nathan Jones.
Following Jones’ dismissal in February, Sellés was again put in caretaker charge, with his first game being a 1-0 away victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. On 24th February, the Spaniard was named permanent boss of the Saints until the end of the 22/23 season.
Sellés however could not save Southampton from the drop despite picking up some impressive results, including a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford, derailing Arsenal’s title charge in a 3-3 draw at the Emirates and coming from behind to draw against both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
What’s Been Said?
Following the appointment of Sellés, Reading’s Head of Football Operations Mark Bowen commented:
“I’m so pleased Rubén can now take the reins.
“Rubén is an ambitious man with an insatiable enthusiasm for football, a clear, conscientious and analytical approach to coaching and a determination and hunger to succeed.
“We all have to be aligned on a clear footballing philosophy at this club which can cascade down from the first team through the age groups of our Academy, fully embracing our continued commitment to the development of our young players…and Rubén has proven pedigree in implementing that philosophy.”
Writer’s View
As a writer who knows a Southampton fan, Sellés was a man that would often leave the Saints faithful scratching their heads with some questionable team selections and more often than not, leaving them confused as to what the game plan was.
Despite the turmoils the Saints had last season, I do fear that the Reading job will be extremely more challenging for him. League One football is completely different to the Premier League, and Sellés will have to deal with tighter financial constraints, despite Reading’s transfer embargo recently being lifted.
This is one to watch for sure but I wish Rubén Sellés the best of luck.
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