Reading FC

Nicky Shorey is making an emotional return to Reading

Nicky Shorey set to rejoin Reading FC

By Jonny Fordham
July 10, 2012

Nicky Shorey is in line to make an emotional return to Reading.

The left-back is a free agent after being released from West Brom this summer.

Shorey was a fans' favourite during his seven years at Madejski Stadium and played 267 games for the club – helping them reach the Premier League in 2006.

However, he left under somewhat of a cloud in 2008 when he joined Aston Villa for £3.5million following Reading's relegation back to the Championship.

During his time at Villa Park Shorey was loaned to both Fulham and Nottingham Forest before being snapped up by the Baggies.

The 31-year-old has struggled to recapture his form shown with Royals that earned him two England caps under Steve McClaren.

Shorey's dad, Steve, is still at the club where he works as chief scout having been promoted when Brian McDermott was named manager.

"We're still looking at other players and would like to get another two or three in," said McDermott last week.

"Hopefully we can get them all in before we go to Portugal (on July 18).”

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weather anyone dislikes the way he left the club or isn't happy about his return the fact remains he is a RFC player again and like all RFC players deserves 100% backing from all the fans. He left the club cos he believed it was best for his career at the time and I will be supporting him and every other player that ever puts the RFC shirt

last chance saloon
10/07/2012 at 18:15

Tom_Foolery - no evidence of his bad attitude?! Did you not go to any of our games the season we were relegated from the PL?

Other players perhaps lacked ability but always gave their all in the fight against relegation. Shorey appeared to be the opposite.

Sidwell had loads of ability and fought right to the end, even though it was pretty obvious that he would be snapped up by a big club. I don't think the same could be said of Shorey.

HARB
10/07/2012 at 16:48

I'm a bit disappointed with this. I still remember his less than impressive attitude as he ran down his contract in his last season with us. He increasingly went through the bare motions whilst his teammates were fighting for PL survival. This culminated in the support in the North/East corner of the Mad Stad booing him in the latter stages of one game when he strolled up to take another corner (having delivered a string of poor ones previously) as though he didn't have a care in the world. He responded by turning around and grinning at them - no doubt confident that he was off to bigger and better things whilst we headed back to the Championship.

It's interesting to read him now saying that he is disappointed about the way things went that season and that he owes the supporters - perhaps rapidly trying to rebuild some of the bridges he so badly burned.

HARB
10/07/2012 at 16:43

What is that saying ? "Be nice to people on your way up as you might meet them on your way down".

Would Leigh
10/07/2012 at 16:31

Oh we have signed Nicky Shorey... Seems that the Reading fans have gone wild with excitement over this signing! I am one of those that has his concerns too. I think this is a squad player signing only. At least his contract is only for a year. Therefore, if he does poorly he can shove off and if he does well then he might want to stick around.

Clearly we need one central defender perhaps two (with pace) another creative midfielder and perhaps another striker. We seem to be buying on the cheap again. Even Pog is a free (on good wages). Hopefully we will see more decent premier league signings soon. Still feel we are short in most positions. We need more pace in the premier league all over the park and players who can keep the ball and use it! We still have too many water carriers and one hundred percenters. Quality, quality please. Guess more will follow in the next two weeks. Hopefully of the right calibre please.

poru, Bournemouth
10/07/2012 at 16:29

This is a backwards step.

Fishlips
10/07/2012 at 15:05

Harte or Shorey - but not both.

I think Mills has potential - but not as third or fourth choice.

come on lads
10/07/2012 at 13:28

Not sure about the logic in signing players that got us relegated 5 years ago. I’m just waiting for us to sign Stephen Hunt back up...

Craigy Boy
10/07/2012 at 12:39

@ A. XYZ. I know I mentioned his age, but I'm with Lester on this one. It's not his age that really bothers me, but the fact that it means he'll only be here for say another 2/3 years and we could be having to find another LB again. It also in theory means Mills is put down the pecking order again and left waiting... assuming he even bothers to wait, which would be a shame if he didn't.

Hopeful Hoops, Reading
10/07/2012 at 11:30

On a free as a back up squad player I think it's a decent signing.

However we still need to sign a good quality centre back, left back and striker before the window closes.

Matthew Connolly can play across the back positions so would be an excellent addition. We should increase our offer for Mariappa and then bring in another striker.

I would then sell/release Manset and Church.

Matthew L
10/07/2012 at 11:17

First ..what has happened in the past is just that In the past. Its what he does this season that matters Second ..Those that harp on about his age and such please remember where we picked up Harte from and his age..If Nicky does 75% of what Ian has done since joining Reading that will be a significant contribution to the season. Give the man a chance before you hound him,Support not criticism is what's needed

A. XYZ
10/07/2012 at 11:15

God I hope this isn't true!!

He hasn't been the same since he left us, he's slower than Harte!

I would rather see Mills play over Shorey and Harte over both of them.

Keep Harte as 1st choice, Mills as 2nd and stick cummings out there if they're both injured.

Oh and sign Connolly and Marriappa...

Is it possible his dad is influencing this signing??? If he is (and this will go belly up) then sack his dad!

RSwanny, Bristol
10/07/2012 at 11:11

Excellent news.

Kristina Chaplin
10/07/2012 at 10:53

Not great news to be honest, would rather we look at someone 'up and coming' rather than another '30 something' left back.....

Good player in his day, but that was 6 years ago....

Southbank Dave
10/07/2012 at 10:53

Hmmmn....but we are lacking in that position. Shorey would only be a short term answer to that problem.

Don't get me wrong, I hope Harte has a stormer of a season, but would Shorey be good back-up (even Bridge has gone to Brighton)....surely we're looking at a youngster to fill this role and I still don't thinnk it's Mills.

Lester Crinklesack
10/07/2012 at 10:48

All you RTG's are living in the past tense

Big P, Reading
10/07/2012 at 10:47

I'm with Tom Foolery on this one

Christopher Bennett
10/07/2012 at 10:31

Depends how Reading see him. As a back-up then ok. But he's not 1st choice Premiership standard these days - especially not for a mid-table side like West Brom which is why he was relased by Albion.

Reading Baggie
10/07/2012 at 10:30

They need another 5 players at least to cover for injury and yellow card offences. I hope they are not going to just rely on 3 or 4 signings to keep them up. Connolly from QPR should be a good one to get. Shorey sorry had his day with the club, there are better players out there than him, wrong move to resign him.

cav007, Caversham
10/07/2012 at 10:27

Wow... I really don't know what to think about this. What's really striking is I'll never forget when Shorey left he said "Maybe one day I'll return" but I always took it as one of those trite things departing players say.

A great player who I truely adored, having seen him come through from that LDV Vans game against Colchester, twisting Ronaldo at Old Trafford, then all the way to an England player against Brazil.

But Nicky now is not the player I'll always remember. Dare I say it, but he's maybe a poor man's Ian Harte. He's only 3/4 years younger too which seems scary. Only until last season has he seen regular action.

Without wanting to insult anyone I think some remember him with rose-tints. Once he played for England he wasn't the same. Maybe as with all the team he just lost form, but given he was one of our "stars" it stood out how he suddenly stopped doing things he was normally first in on. The same with Hunt, Doyle etc he did only seem to spark up when transfer time was around.

Unless it was similar with Long where we just had to sell, it struck me how he seemed happy to leave unlike Hunt and Doyle etc and get us back to the PL during the 08/09 season. It just seemed a formailty from Coppell and him that he'd just leave.

Like with an old girlfriend... after so many years passing, could it ever be the same?

Hopeful Hoops, Reading
10/07/2012 at 10:24

Positive news, (a) he's free (b) i'm sure his wages aren't too commanding and (c) he's excellent on the ball.

Only concern is lack of pace but then he never had that. As a squad player this would be a good solid addition.

Shorey's 'attitude' towards the end of his first stint at Reading was no different to the other players who were (just like the fans) probably becomming a touch disillusioned with the lack of spending to have helped keep us in the division.

Please remember that Shorey played a MASSIVE part in the most successful RFC team ever and I for one think he deserves a bit more respect from certain sections of our fanbase.

Pretty sure he's past his best but let's at least give the guy a chance if he signs as opposed to picking him out as the fall guy for the season.

WaftyCranker, Reading
10/07/2012 at 10:12

Shorey has resigned, FACT ! Heard it from someone at the training ground this morning.

Lets hope he is grateful for a second chance!

Tilehurst Ender, Spencers wood
10/07/2012 at 10:06

I think it all depends on how much money he's looking for. It that's reasonable he's a player of proven quality with plenty to prove to Reading fans if he comes back. I think McD knows what he's doing.

Rh3, Reading
10/07/2012 at 10:02

It seems an odd move - would rather have seen Matthew Connolly back.

Smiffy, Reading
10/07/2012 at 09:58

Excellent news. RFC legend.

I don't buy in to all this talk from HNA that he had a bad attitude in his last season. How does anybody KNOW that? There's a difference between losing form and having a bad attitude. Unfortunately a lot of our players lost form, not just Shorey, that's why we were relegated.