The 54-year-old left Leeds United in May 2014 before quickly taking up a position with Premier League Arsenal that saw McDermott return to scouting. Such was his commitment to the Gunners, a side he spent seven years at as a player, that McDermott turned down a return to management with four unnamed clubs.
In his pre-match press conference, the ex-Slough man said:
"I committed to Arsenal for a year when I first went in there. They didn't want me to go in there and leave straight away after getting offered a job."
"I turned down probably four jobs because I had shaken hands on a deal saying I would definitely stay for one year. It was black and white for me, I wasn't going to go anywhere - whoever came in for me.
"And then this opportunity came to me, Reading wanted to speak to me and it felt right.
"I felt I needed to do more in my life and I wanted to get back in among it.
"I hope it's right for the club and the supporters. If I didn't feel it was completely right on both sides I wouldn't have come back."
It is a testament to Brian's love for the Royals that he came back at the drop of a hat, having admitted after being sacked in 2013 that he hoped and thought he'd manage Reading for a very long time. As to the identity of those four clubs, we are purely left to our own devices, and with pretty much every Championship club having changed their manager in the last 12 months, it's anyone's guess.