by Keysfield »
02 Jul 2021 10:34
Reading Evening Post Thursday 7 January 1982
Shock news from Elm Park as Reading hit the winning trail again
HEALE MAY QUIT
A Russel Kempson Exclusive
Reading’s leading marksman Gary Heale looks set to quit the club - possibly before the end of the season.
The 23-year-old striker is thought to be considering a move to America and could well go at any time. And Royals manager Maurice Evans admitted today “I honestly don't know what's happening at the moment. I've heard the rumours myself and one never knows in situations like this. All I can say is, if that's what he's going to do then he's a fool.” Speculation about Heale’s future at Elm Park has been rife for weeks and matters reached a head last night when Evans left him out of the side which beat Portsmouth 2-1 at home. “I didn't feel he was in the right frame of mind to go out there,” added Evans. “He was in no mental state to play football and I told him so which he accepted. It is annoying to say the least, especially with all the injuries we have here at present, but there is not much I can do. The ball is totally in his court.”
Heale with nine goals to his credit this season has been troubled by a mystery internal complaint for over a month. Visits to specialists have failed to diagnose the problem and although he has continued to play in most games, he has been far from 100 per cent fit. But Evans stressed that from a health point of view, Heale could have appeared against Portsmouth. I understand, however, that Heale’s new American wife -former model Crystal Sutton - is keen to return home. The couple were married back in October after a whirlwind four-month romance, but have already sold their house in Thatcham. And if the former Luton forward - signed for a then club record fee of £40,000 over two years ago - were to quit Elm Park, Evans would have very little power to stop him. “Gary could take off at any time,” he conceded. “It's not really under my jurisdiction. Any player can walk out on their contract but if that happened, then we would retain his playing registration and he wouldn't be paid by us.”
Evans spoke to Heale, whose current contract runs out at the end of the season, last night and told him of his decision to drop him. But despite the injury crisis at Reading - they just managed to scrape together 12 fit players to face Portsmouth - there is no guarantee that Heale will return for the tough away trip to Gillingham on Saturday. “I’ll simply have to wait and see what develops,” Evans went on. “I can't say whether he's in my plans or not at the moment.” Heale was unavailable for comment today.