Most loyal players

[Cripple Creek]

Ok then, Gary "sexy legs" Heale (football coach in the US).

[Royal Lady]

Ok then, Gary "sexy legs" Heale (football coach in the US).

He wasn't home grown though was he. Do keep up CC.

[Jackson Corner]

In my lifetime Martin Hicks, Steve Death, Trevor Senior, Adie Williams, Phil Parkinson and Murts.

[rhroyal]

Does outstanding loyalty exist often? If a player is the best at our club and capable of better, it's perfectly reasonable for them to move. They can show loyalty in the way they conduct themselves. I think Doyle showed loyalty, Hunt didn't. Certainly Doyle is as close as you can get to loyalty in a lot of cases. As people have said, it probably just didn't add up fro Murty to move anywhere else, however had a Premiership club been interested it would have been different. Players such as Le Tissier who stay at their home club for an entire career when they could have done so much better are very rare.

[rhroyal]

Ok, off topic as far as Reading go but Le Tissier's loyalty to Southampton was remarkable. I read somewhere that Bobby Robson said that if he had been England manager at the time he would have "built the England side around Matthew". Hmmm...not sure he would have done to be honest but imagine the love Saints fans must have for him. There was a time (a lengthy time) when he was the best player in the English league and probably could have gone pretty much wherever he wanted.

Beat me to mentioning him. I'd say the best example of a player's loyalty to his club.

[PEARCEY]

In my lifetime Martin Hicks, Steve Death, Trevor Senior, Adie Williams, Phil Parkinson and Murts.

I'd add Steve Richardson to that list but take out Adie Williams

[peterroyal76]

For some people loyalty means different things. As much much as Le Tissier was praised for staying at Southampton, he was derided by others for a supposed lack of ambition.

I've been in my job for thirteen years, it pays alright, but if I was offered another job elsewhere on more money would I be 'disloyal' or just a greedy b*stad if I took it?

[Jackson Corner]

In my lifetime Martin Hicks, Steve Death, Trevor Senior, Adie Williams, Phil Parkinson and Murts.

I'd add Steve Richardson to that list but take out Adie Williams

Fair enough and Stuart Beavon I would add. In Adie's case he left for £750,000 played just 40 games for Wolves, came back for nothing and we had three good years out of him.

[Terminal Boardom]

It is a fine line between loyalty and a perceived lack of ambition. Much derided that he is, James Harper has shown as much loyalty as anyone in recent years. He had an opportunity to go to Holland but wanted to stay with us.

[Sun Tzu]

It is a fine line between loyalty and a perceived lack of ambition. Much derided that he is, James Harper has shown as much loyalty as anyone in recent years. He had an opportunity to go to Holland but wanted to stay with us.

He had other opportunities to leave.

From what I know he didn't turn them down entirely for loyalty reasons, for one thing he'd been quoted several times in his career as being quite unhappy here.

[BR2]

I agree with Sun Tzu's earlier point that it is only fans that are loyal and fans often don't get it that players and managers are just doing a job of work.
I am sure that some players are loyal to some managers and vice versa and some players want to play for their home club but don't forget that of those mentioned earlier Gilksey was at Leicester before us,Steve Death at West Ham and Parky was at Bury.
BTW there is a racehorse currently in training called Loyal Royal-presumably not linked with us but would be interested to hear if anybody knows more-it doesn't win very often.

[Hoop Blah]

It is a fine line between loyalty and a perceived lack of ambition. Much derided that he is, James Harper has shown as much loyalty as anyone in recent years. He had an opportunity to go to Holland but wanted to stay with us.

He had other opportunities to leave.

From what I know he didn't turn them down entirely for loyalty reasons, for one thing he'd been quoted several times in his career as being quite unhappy here.

You can be unhappy with how things are or how your treated, paid etc etc without it meaning you want to leave. If anything, staying around or not trying to engineer a move away whilst you're unhappy shows more loyalty to the cause than saying stuff it, and just leaving.

From what I know, Harper was pretty happy in the area and with most things about playing for the club and what it offered him, that's why he didn't move on on a couple of times he had the opportunity.