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Taking inspiration from The Times, who ran a series to determine the perfect England footballer, we decided to do the same to work out Reading's finest. Any Reading player was eligable to be selected and over the coming weeks we'll build our man from the ground up, with left and right feet, a pair of legs, a torso, heart, lungs, head and a brain. To build our footballing monster we gathered a group of TTE's finest who between them have been watching games from the 1950's until... well, two weeks ago.
This week, it's the trickiest foot to find, a decent left one.
Bobby Convey
TTE Assistant Editor RoyalHoops
The popular pick here is Nicky Shorey or Ian Harte and I don't like to do things the same as everyone else, I've gone for Bobby Convey. We saw far too little of him in his prime. And for that goal against Millwall alone he needs a mention.
Ian Harte
TTE Assistant Editor BucksRoyal
Whenever he stood over a set piece you thought that something special could happen. Could produce the perfect mix of accuracy, power and curve to make his deliveries and shots lethal.
TTE Assitant Editor ThatMarcMayo
Better than Shorey when it came to direct free-kicks and showed exactly why he was once a Champions League star player.
TTE Assistant Editor OllyAllen
Nicky Shorey might be the obvious candidate for most Reading fans, but I don't remember an awful lot about him being about eight years old when he was in his prime. So for me it is Ian Harte, for his superb free-kick ability alone, but he could also put in a very menacing cross as well.
TTE Writer Becka White
He may not have been at his peak when he played for the Royals, but no one can deny the quality of his free kicks.
Dylan Kerr
TTE Podcast Co-Host Dave 'Handbags' Harris
Sweetest left foot I've seen, even better than Shorey IMO but Nicky was the better full back.
Nicky Shorey
TTE Assistant Editor WilliamOwain
Rarely ever gave the ball away, excellent set piece taker, the description "he could open a tin of beans with that left foot" fits Shorey more than possible any other left footed Reading player I have seen.
TTE Editor Wimb
Can't look past Shorey, who excelled both in open play and from set pieces. His ability to weave down the flank and deliver a ball into the box was just awesome and there's good reason he's the only Reading outfield player to earn England honours in close to a century.
TTE Podcast Co-Host Tony 'Wimb Snr' Wimbush
Yup Shorey, A great crosser and a great free kick.
*****
So that's how our team see it but what about you? Let us know in the comments below. Next up, you guessed it, right foot.