Former Reading head coach Ruben Selles has piled the praise on his successor Noel Hunt as the Royals continue to chase an unlikely League One play-off place.
Selles departed the Berkshire-based club in December, taking up an offer to join Championship strugglers Hull City. It was seen as a blow for Reading at the time, with the Spaniard having steadied the ship on the pitch in the midst of the continued off-field dramas.
Hunt was a part of his predecessor’s coaching staff and was named head coach almost immediately following the announcement that Selles had taken the job at the Tigers.
Reading initially struggled under the early stewardship of Hunt, losing two of his first three games. This included a 3-0 defeat against Blackpool at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, followed by a 2-0 loss at Lincoln City.
The performances in those games led to concerns that the former Premier League side would begin to slip down the table, although they recovered in dramatic fashion, picking up three wins and a draw from their next four outings.
Selles Delighted By Performances Under Hunt
Selles is full of admiration of his time at Reading and is delighted to see Hunt continue to lead a charge for a top six finish. Speaking to Not The Top 20 podcast, via The Reading Chronicle, the 41-year-old said:
“I am very happy and proud of my time at Reading- my feelings about the club will never change. It was one of the most challenging times of my life and for the club. We learnt how to cope together, with the fans, and the feeling was extraordinary. I found myself as a manager in that environment and I will always be thankful for that. There are moments in life where you need to make decisions, and I saw that as a moment to make a change.
“They are in good hands with Noel, and they are continuing to do an extraordinary job. I hope the situation with the club is sorted soon so it has many many years in front with big success.”
Writer’s View
It started shaky under Noel Hunt and there were question marks as to whether he could continue to keep Reading in the upper reaches of League One. Ruben Selles arguably had them punching above their weight but he left the playing side of things in good shape, in which his successor is starting to reap the benefits. It helps that he was in and around Selles prior to his departure and was a familiar face. It will be interesting to see what he achieves in the second half of the season.
