Michael Gilkes To Replace Ged Roddy As Reading Academy Manager

A big change is underway in Reading FC’s academy with Ged Roddy reportedly being replaced by Michael Gilkes as academy director.

Roddy was sacked on Monday afternoon, according to Training Ground Guru, with the move confirmed by the club on Tuesday. The official statement said Roddy had “left the club to move on to pastures new”, but TGG wrote:

“Club insiders say there were issues about a lack of communication with parents and the wider community.”

The same outlet broke the news on Friday that Roddy would be replaced by Gilkes, who’s been working as a coach at Reading for the last few years. After working with the under-18s, he was made a first-team coach by Jaap Stam just over two years ago.

That experience is of course in addition to his playing career at Elm Park - Gilkesy played more than 400 times for the Royals, scoring 52 goals in the process and leaving countless defenders for dead with his blistering pace.

His general affinity with the club and knowledge of how it’s been working in recent years made him a great candidate to succeed Roddy. Indeed, as TGG said, Reading “were eager to appoint a ‘Reading man’ who had a good relationship with coaches, players, parents and the wider community.”

According to Training Ground Guru, the 54 year-old will be announced as the new academy chief before the game with Wigan.