Most loyal players

[SteveRoyal]

I got thinking when Gylfi signed his contract extension. He's clearly loyal to our club and will stay at least until next season.

However, I also considered the possibility of Reading having a player who wants to stay at the club no matter what. I know we have Ingimarsson and Gunnarsson who have stuck around, but I'm thinking more home-grown talent. Players like: Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ledley King, Stevie Gerrard (he is well 'ard) have all stuck around their clubs despite speculation about their futures, offers, etc.

So, out of our current crop of youngsters, who do you see being the most loyal and sticking around? I know it's unlikely that anyone will stay for their entire careers, but it's interesting* to think about.

* IMO

[I was there at Elm Park]

Gylfi won't and I can see Karacan playing in Turkey at some point (even if it only ends up being a season).

For me the two most likely candidates are Church and Pearce.

[Sun Tzu]

LOL at the idea that Neville and Scholes have been 'loyal' as they rack up the millions and fill up the trophy cabinet !!!!! It must have been so tough for them to decide to hang around Old Trafford.

And Gylfi has been in the first team for ONE season - let's give it a decade before we praise him, all he's done this week is take a wage increase.

Players will stay at Reading as long as there isn;t a better offer on the table, and as long as we decide to not sell them. I don;t think any player is going to turn down a big hike in wages or a chance to play at a higher level, and there's no real reason why they should. Clubs aren't loyal to players after all.....

[I was there at Elm Park]

Was talking about this with my mate who's Coventry fan yesterday and I said how since we've been in the Premier League I've become a lot more cynical regarding players' loyalties.

The only reason players like Murty, Parkinson and Marcus Hall stayed loyal was because the only offers they probably received were sideways moves.

Lets be honest if we were good enough to be a star player for Reading we'd probably behave like Kevin Doyle who for me showed incredible loyalty considering the behaviour of some of his peers. People want to better themselves and as long as they show the club and fans respect and acknowledge that in some cases they do owe the club then I will be happy if they play well but move onto better things.

[Irvinchangeyaname]

Kevin Doyle who for me showed incredible loyalty

Agreed, but even then his loyalty was probably towards SSC etc rather than the club itself.

[Magnus]

Have there been any regular first team players who are LOLcals, or have come through the academy?

No reason why you would be loyal to the club but if you'd supported them as a kid and they'd given you a chance at the start of your career you might stick around longer than some bloke from the midlands.

[Sun Tzu]

Even with Doyle it took a couple of new contracts (= more money) and the promise that he could go if we didn't go back up to 'buy' his loyalty.

I'm also not convinced that the 'home town team' thing holds water. Dangle a cheque and even the most hardcore 'fan' will bite. From memory Steve Bull stayed at Wolves even when they tumbled down the leagues and he could probably have moved away, but I suspect there wouldn't be many more examples.

I'd also add I don;t see this as a thing to criticise players for - they are doing a job, they have every right to make the most out of it they can. We shouldn;t expect the same loyalty from them that we give as fans. As long as they give their all while they are playing for us I don't think there is a problem.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Have there been any regular first team players who are LOLcals, or have come through the academy?

No reason why you would be loyal to the club but if you'd supported them as a kid and they'd given you a chance at the start of your career you might stick around longer than some bloke from the midlands.

Adie Williams is probably the closest to that in modern times, although he did leave for 3 seasons, mostly injured mind. Returned at the 1st opportunity. Stayed on for an extra season when he could have left after tomorrows 15th anniversary. Top 10 in Readings alltime appearances and played anywhere on the pitch wherever required.

[Sun Tzu]

Have there been any regular first team players who are LOLcals, or have come through the academy?

No reason why you would be loyal to the club but if you'd supported them as a kid and they'd given you a chance at the start of your career you might stick around longer than some bloke from the midlands.

Adie Williams is probably the closest to that in modern times, although he did leave for 3 seasons, mostly injured mind. Returned at the 1st opportunity. Stayed on for an extra season when he could have left after tomorrows 15th anniversary. Top 10 in Readings alltime appearances and played anywhere on the pitch wherever required.

And all that despite being a Watford fan !!

[Tony Le Mesmer]

And i forgot he even infiltrated the opposition and scored a great goal for us in a Wolves shirt.

[Sun Tzu]

And i forgot he even infiltrated the opposition and scored a great goal for us in a Wolves shirt.

And smiled at the South Bank when they sang his name !!

[Dirk Gently]

Have there been any regular first team players who are LOLcals, or have come through the academy?

Scotty Taylor was, and didn't stay.

[handbags_harris]

Have there been any regular first team players who are LOLcals, or have come through the academy?

No reason why you couldn't look at the history books from around 1980 and back. There's plenty of them who came through to play for the club for years from at a young age, Fred Neate being the most obvious example.

[From Despair To Where?]

Have there been any regular first team players who are LOLcals, or have come through the academy?

No reason why you couldn't look at the history books from around 1980 and back. There's plenty of them who came through to play for the club for years from at a young age, Fred Neate being the most obvious example.

How many pre 1980 players actually went on to better things. Seems to me we spent most of the 60's and 70's shifting players on to ease the wage bill and plug gaps in the balance sheet.

Go back earlier to the days of retain & transfer and clubs decided whether a player left or not with the annual retained and released lists. The clubs held the upper hand. Also, with the maximum wage, the disparity betwen say Division 1 and Division 3 was not so great so, illegal payments aside, there was less scope for players to move for money. Most players had to work through the post season because the clubs paid a pittance in a retainer. There's a famous story about the Chairman of the Football League when it was based in Lytham St Annes phoning for a plumber one summer and Tom Finney, an England international at the time, turned up on his doorstep with a plunger and a monkey wrench.

If you're talking of loyalty in the modern era, the only player I think could genuinely have moved from Reading to greater things at the peak of his career but chose not to was Michael Gilkes.

[bobbybottler]

Have there been any regular first team players who are LOLcals, or have come through the academy?

Marcus Hall

Good point - a Coventry born Coventry fan who graduated from Coventry's youth set-up and who plays for Coventry.

[leww_rfc]

Church, Pearce, HRK.

[Cripple Creek]

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.

[Royal Lady]

In the 1980s both Neil Webb and Lawrie Sanchez were local players and both went on to much bigger things.

[Cripple Creek]

So did Ollie Kearns (millionaire businessman in Ireland), Richie Bowman (owns a sandwich shop near London Bridge) and Ray Hiron (postman)

[Royal Lady]

So did Ollie Kearns (millionaire businessman in Ireland), Richie Bowman (owns a sandwich shop near London Bridge) and Ray Hiron (postman)

Bigger things within FOOTBALL obviously. I was responded to whoever asked who went on to better things who were home grown in the 1980s.