RUGBY fan Mike Loftus is the new captain at a central Reading bank.

The 57-year-old was appointed chairman of Clydesdale Bank's financial solutions centre in Forbury Square.

His 41 years of banking experience include 11 years at HSBC in Basingstoke, where he was senior corporate banking manager for 10 years.

"I'm genuinely excited about the fresh and modern approach Clydesdale is injecting into business and private banking," he said.

"The organisation has adopted a relationship management service, combining the stature and approach of bank managers 20 or 30 years ago with today's pace, creativity and high-performance culture."