Lots of hard work is going on behind the scenes this season, as both our Under 18 and Under 23 Management continue to prepare players for First Team Football with several players getting the chance already this season.

This week was no different as Reiss Baker who features for our Under 18s and Under 23s made his full first team debut, leading the line during our 2-0 defeat on the road to Holyport on Saturday afternoon and also featured in   our narrow Southern Combination Challenge Cup Second Round defeat at home to Epsom & Ewell on Tuesday evening.

Tuesday evening also saw Jay Herbert who captains our Under 18s, called up to First Team for the first time. Where he made his first team debut as a second half substitute.

Here at Reading City Football Club, we offer every youngster the opportunity to play first team football as they embark on their pathway to excellence and this season that pathway has been extremely successful with several youngsters from our Under 18s and Under 23s earning a call-up.

Folllowing Reiss making his full First Team Debut and Jay Herbert being called up to the First Team for the first time, we spoke to Lee, Our Under 18s Manager, here’s what he had to say:

“This week has been another great week for a couple of our under 18s players.

On Saturday Reiss Baker got his first start for the first team and on Tuesday, both Reiss and our captain Jay Herbert were both on the bench for the cup game v Epsom & Ewell.
Jay entered the pitch on 50 minutes to make his debut and had a solid game in centre midfield and Reiss managed to get on for the last 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, the club lost in a penalty shootout. But huge congratulations to both Reiss and Jay for getting some valuable minutes. As team manager, along with the rest of the management team, we work incredibly hard to push the boys to play at the highest possible level.

We try to make it as easy as we can so that the boys just need to turn up and play, but the boys have to want to push themselves to the limit to reach the level required. And all of the credit goes to them for the way they have performed this season.

Since the start of the season, we’ve now had 7 under 18 players involved in first team squad and, I’m sure there’ll be 1 or 2 more before the season ends. Credit to them all”.

Reiss Baker also plays for our Under 23s, so we asked Under 23s Manager Sheldon Bapstite for his thoughts following Reiss making his full debut:

“ Reiss is a player that I have worked with from pre season and to see him go on to make his first team debut is something I’m personally proud of. He has bags of talent and has started to believe in his ability when it comes to the men’s game as long as he continues to learn, work hard and show a level of confidence that good number 9’s need he will climb the levels”.