Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth stated that a role at Reading would interest him in the future.

49-year-old Ainsworth has been at the Buckinghamshire-based club since 2010, first as a player but as the boss since 2012.

Leading the Chairboys to the Championship in 2020, the club are 90 minutes away from a second tier return as they face Sunderland in next week’s League One play-off final.

The Lancastrian spoke to former Reading captain Ady Williams on BBC Berkshire ahead of the big match and was asked about the nearby Royals.

Interim manager Paul Ince is yet to commit his future in Berkshire, and local resident Ainsworth is regularly linked with a move to the SCL Stadium.

In response to whether the role would interest him, he replied: “Yeah of course, it’s a huge club. I was lucky enough to play at Elm Park, it’s a historic big, big club. It was a giant that was awakened once and to get back there for Reading is what they need. They need the buzz around the town again and all the players caring so much about putting the shirt on. I’m not saying they don’t but there’s certain things you can give up if things aren’t going in the right direction or there’s troubles upstairs- it feels like Reading have lost a little bit of their identity and a little bit of its way.

“If you get everyone pulling in the same direction and get the feelgood factor back around the place again that’s what Reading have missed over the last few years, it’s been about money and it’s been about upstairs rather than out on the pitch on a Saturday. I’m glad they stayed up, I’ve got lots of Reading friends.”

Two players who will be looking to help take Ainsworth’s side back to the Championship are former Royal heroes Garath McCleary and Jordan Obita.

Both made huge impacts in RG2, with almost 500 appearances between them, but were let go in 2020.

First-team regulars with Ainsworth at Wycombe, the former QPR and Preston midfielder said: “I’ve got a couple of the ex-boys who were told they were probably finished, especially McCleary, and they’ve been absolutely on fire. They came up to me the other night and said ‘thank you gaffer’ but I’m saying it’s not me, it’s everyone. They’ve both been sensational for me.”