The Tilehurst End Reading FC Player Of The Season 2016-17

The 2016-17 season may have ended in heartbreak for Reading, but it is important (yet hard) not to let that overshadow what was a fantastic campaign that surpassed everyone's expectations.

Huge credit must go to Jaap Stam for how he has turned the club's fortunes around, whilst several players deserve high praise for their performances too. We've compiled our Player of the Season shortlist based on player ratings throughout the season, and now it's down to you to decide who takes the accolade. To qualify, players had to have made a minimum of 30 league starts in the regular season. In alphabetical order...

Ali Al-Habsi

Total appearances: 51 / Average rating: 6.0

Al-Habsi was one of just two players (along with Chris Gunter) to start all 46 league games and kept 15 clean sheets - a tally which only three other goalkeepers in the Championship bettered. Furthermore, only Barnsley's Adam Davies (167) made more saves than the Omani (165).

Highlights of the season for Al-Habsi include penalty saves against Huddersfield and Fulham, as well as a man of the match display at Sheffield Wednesday, where he kept Reading in the game with a string of superb saves to help the Royals win 2-0. In the play-offs, he produced another man of the match performance in the semi-final second leg against Fulham to help secure a place at Wembley.

Yann Kermorgant

Total appearances: 48 / Average rating: 6.2

At 35 years old, Yann Kermorgant was almost expected to be a bit part player this year, and he did indeed make a slow start to the campaign, but as the season progressed the striker became one of the key players in the side and it became clear why he had been so popular with Charlton and Bournemouth fans in the past.

The Frenchman would go into the end of season play-offs with 18 league goals (his best ever return in one season) and having just picked up April's Championship Player of the Month award. His penalty that sent the Royals through to the Wembley final will be remembered for a long time.

Garath McCleary

Total appearances: 45 / Average rating: 6.0

It was a season of two halves really for Garath McCleary, who began the campaign on fantastic form, and began to look as though he had recaptured his form from 2013/14 when he was one of the best players in the Championship.

Eight goals and five assists before the turn of the year meant that the Jamaican international was rewarded with a new three year contract in January. Did that make him take his foot off the gas? Just one further goal suggests that is perhaps so, but there's no doubting that McCleary is one the most technical and skillful players in the squad.

Liam Moore

Total appearances: 47 / Average rating: 6.2

Having played just 24 games of football in the last two seasons, no one was quite expecting Liam Moore to make the impact he did at Reading when he finally signed from Leicester last summer following a drawn out transfer saga.

It turned out that regular playing time was just what the defender needed and he instantly sured-up the Royals' back line as he learnt from one of the best centre-backs of recent times (Jaap Stam, not Danzell Gravenberch). Moore was a rock at the back throughout the season and became an instant hit with fans too thanks to his constant passion and desire that came through every time he stepped foot on the pitch.

John Swift

Total appearances: 41 / Average rating: 5.9

Much like McCleary, John Swift began the season in red hot form, but trailed off in the latter part of the campaign whilst still showing glimpses of his obvious talent. Signed from Chelsea in the summer, the midfielder scored on his competitive debut on the opening day of the season against Preston.

An injury disrupted his season somewhat before Christmas, but three goals in January won him the EFL Young Player of the Month award, before he was then included on a three-man shortlist for the EFL Young Player of the Season award. It's easy to only remember the 21-year-old's performances in the play-offs, but Swift has certainly had a relatively successful first season in Berkshire and is surely one of our most impressive signings from the last couple of campaigns.

Danny Williams

Total appearances: 47 / Average rating: 5.9

Somewhat of an unsung hero for the team, Danny Williams hasn't really caught the eye for his goals (he only got four this season) or fancy skills, but simply his desire to win that seems to just give the whole team a lift. There have been games this season where the team really hasn't been at it's best, but the American stands out as he always give 100% and drives the team forward with the ball.

He was Reading's best player in the play-off final and Wimb's player rating summed him up: "Energetic, determined, gutsy". Williams is out of contract this summer, and it would be a real shame to see him go. If we have seen the last of you in the blue and white hoops Danny, thank you for all your efforts :(

So who gets your vote and follows Jordan Obita, Adam Federici and Ali Al-Habsi as TTE Player of the Season winner? Have your say in the poll above by picking your top three in order of preference.