2012/13 Reading FC Loan Report - Season Round-up

*Stats are league games only

Joseph Mills

Burnley (ChampionshIp) Games: 12

It's hard not to feel sorry for Mills, who 18-months ago signed a new long-term deal at Reading all looked like becoming our new long-term left-back before injury let Ian Harte back in and promotion brought Nicky Shorey to the club.

Mills went on a season-long loan to Burnley with view to a permanent transfer but after an inconsistent start to the season Mills was dropped and when Eddie Howe went back to Bournemouth, Mills featured just twice in 2013 for Sean Dyche. With two years left on his Reading deal it seems he's set for a return but given that our manager is the same man who sold him to Reading in the first place, you'd assume his prospects are bleak next year.

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Kaspars Gorkss

Wolves (Championship) Games: 15

Gorkss hasn't had a very good season.

After being cruelly exposed in the Premier League he was sent to Wolves in February and after a bright start where he was named MOTM on debut, couldn't stop them from slipping into League One. He then managed to play one final game for Reading this season, with his team conceding four at West Ham.

The chances of him staying with Wolves now look slim, while the fact that Adkins was prepared to play Gorkss, rather than Pearce hints that he could have a role to play next season back in the Championship.

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Jay Tabb

Ipswich (Championship) Games: 9 Goals: 1

Tabb was very unlucky to be discarded by Brian McDermott at the end of January and went on loan to Ipswich in March to get further first team football. He's impressed in Suffolk and has openly said he'd like to join them permanently when his contract expires in the summer.

While he could still do a job for Reading, you get the feeling it's right for both clubs to say goodbye on nice terms and I'm sure Tabb will get a great reception when he comes back to Reading next season.

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Simon Church

Huddersfield (Championship) Games: 7 Goals: 1

Church didn't feature in a Premier League game for Reading and was initially refused a loan move due to his refusal to sign a new deal. Perhaps hoping to promote January interest, the club eventually relented and let Churchy go to Huddersfield for two months in December.

After a hot start that saw him create one and score another in his first two games, Church tailed off badly and by the end of his time in Yorkshire could barely make the bench.

He's a player that needs a club that will give him regular starts and that's not something he's going to get at Reading, while with the striker turning 25 in December, time is ticking by for him to make a name for himself.

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Michael Hector

Shrewsbury (League 1) Games: 8

Aldershot (League 2) Games: 8 Goals: 1

Cheltenham (League 2) Games: 18 Goals: 1

Defender Hector spent time with three different sides this year, with Cheltenham getting the bulk of his services in their failed league 2 play-off campaign. He also spent time in League 1 with Shrewsbury but was inconsistent and it was little surprise to see him drop back down a level.

His time at Aldershot saw him mainly employed in a holding midfield role and with him in the side Aldershot lost just two in eight, one of their best spells of the season.

With Cheltenham he was a virtual ever present but sadly they went out of the play-offs 2-0 on aggregate to Martin Allen's Northampton.

He's certainly shown his potential this season but whether he's made significant strides compared to his successful loan spell at Barnet last season. Those concerns aside, he's got the raw talent to succeed and with him being just 21 at the start of next year, he's very much got time on his side.

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Mikkel Andersen

Portsmouth (League 1) Games: 18

The former Danish U21 goalkeeper did well down at Portsmouth during his three months on the South Coast and even appears on their calendar for 2013 despite leaving the club in November.

After seven loan spells away in six years, Andersen has now spoke about his desire for a permanent move or first team football and at the moment he could well end up first choice at Reading should McCarthy and Federici both get snapped up in the summer.

Jordan Obita

Portsmouth (League 1) Games: 8 Goals: 1

Oldham (League 1) Games: 8

A frustrating season for Obita who failed to seal regular starts on either of his loan spells in League One. At Portsmouth the winger lost his place after an unlucky red card against Oldham and never really won it back. Ironically he then went to Oldham in the new year but again couldn't hold down a regular place despite scoring a goal against Everton in the FA Cup.

Long touted as one of our best prospects, it's easy to forget he won't turn 20 until December, the same age as when Hal Robson-Kanu began to break out on-loan at Swindon.

So while it's been a disappointing season it's not been a disaster and it would be foolish to write him off.

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Jake Taylor

Cheltenham (League 2) Games: 8 Goals: 1

Crawley (League 1) Games: 4

Like Obita, versatile midfielder Taylor has been touted for so long that it's easy to forget that he's just 20. Sadly, like Hector he's not really taken a big step forward from last year's loan spell at Exeter and managing just 12 games for two clubs this season will have disappointed the Welsh U21 international.

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Dominic Samuel

Colchester (League 1) Games: 2

Samuel had a very brief spell at Colchester in January as cover for injury but sadly couldn't find the net.

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Lawson D'Ath

Cheltenham (League 2) Games: 2 Goals: 1

Exeter (League 2) Games: 8 Goals: 1

D'Ath struggled with injuries through the summer and by the time he was fit enough to go back out on loan, he lasted just a handful of games before another injury kept him out again.

Still, he made a decent impression at Cheltenham by scoring on his debut against Exeter and followed that up by playing in eight games for Exeter during the back end of the season.

The 20-year old will hope to impress Nigel Adkins on his return and the central midfielder certainly remains one of our best prospects.

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Gozie Ugwu

Yeovil (League 1) Games: 15 Goals: 3

Plymouth (League 2) Games: 6

Striker Ugwu sadly saw his season ruined by persistent hamstring injuries that derailed a promising start with Gary Johnson's Yeovil. Ugwu went through a spell of three goals in as many games before failing to find the net over the rest of the campaign, either with Yeovil or during a spell at Plymouth.

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Angus MacDonald

AFC Wimbledon (League 2) Games: 4

Torquay (League 2) Games: 14

MacDonald is out of contract in the summer and sadly his performances at League Two level have done little to suggest he deserves a new deal at a club with serious ambitions to become a Premier League side again.

A nightmare four games at Wimbledon was followed by an indifferent spell at Torquay but MacDonald has only been part of 2 clean sheets in 18 games this season, hardly a ringing endorsement.

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Karl Sheppard

Accrington (League Two) Games: 10 Goals: 1

Shamrock (League of Ireland Prem) Games: 12 Goals: 1

Sheppard is a sober reflection of just where the club was heading prior to the investment from TSI. Our final signing prior to the takeover was touted as a very promising young striker but his loan spell at Accrington showed his flaws and a return of 1 goal in just 10 games isn't good enough.

He's now returned to Shamrock on loan in the League of Ireland but again has found the net just once in 12 games. He'll need to show rapid improvement to win a place in the Reading squad but at 22 he's not totally finished quite yet.

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Brett Williams

Woking (Conference Premier) Games: 31 Goals: 4

Let's not be too mean here. Williams was a low money punt from Eastleigh by Brian McDermott that just didn't work out. He's now had loan spells with Woking, Northampton and Rotherham, managing just seven goals in more than 55 games so it's safe to say he'll be released this summer.

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Others

Promising defender Matt Partridge enjoyed a good spell with Bognor Regis in the seventh tier, while another defender, Ben Jefford helped Basingstoke to avoid relegation from the Conference South. Young 'keeper Jon Henly played for Hungerford Town in-between Scotland U19 duties and backing up Stuart Taylor. Several others also featured away on work experience deals but that just about covers the most notable.

Thanks to those that have sent in updates or info over the season and if you're interested in perhaps running the loan report next season, we're always after volunteers so email us at thetilehurstend@gmail.com or tweet us.