John Swift Is Your August Player Of The Month

It was as predictable as Reading conceding from a set-piece, but you have voted John Swift as your Player of the Month for August.

There was hardly a plethora of candidates following the Royals’ underwhelming start to the season, with Swift taking 83% of the vote ahead of Femi Azeez (13%) and Liam Moore (4%). It is the first time that the midfielder has taken the monthly accolade since March 2020.

But that is not to diminish Swift’s achievement and regardless of how poor the team have been, the 26-year-old has shone on his own. With three goals and two assists from five games, he ranks joint-second in the Championship for goal contributions to this season behind too-good-for-this-league Aleksandar Mitrovic.

This is Swift’s sixth season in a Reading shirt and he is now one of the more experienced players in the squad, a role which he seems happy to take on. Following Michael Olise’s summer departure, he is the creative hub of the team and it is not worth thinking where the Royals would be without him at this early stage of the season. Therein lies the worry, as Swift has a patchy injury record and if his hamstring goes again, we could be in a lot of trouble.

For now though, let’s relish in Swift’s excellent start to the campaign. Maybe it’s the new haircut.

The Tilehurst End Player of the Month winners 2021/22

August - John Swift (83%)