Reading have confirmed the sacking of former boss Paul Ince, following Monday's 2-1 defeat to Preston.

With just three away wins all season and no wins in eight, the side have slipped into the relegation zone and sit two points adrift.

Former club legend, and current Under-21 manager, Noel Hunt has been put in charge for the remaining five matches.

Hunt played over 150 times for the club, and will be joined in the dugout by former goalkeeper Eddie Niedzwiecki

A club statement said: "Reading Football Club can confirm that the contract of first team manager Paul Ince has been terminated with immediate effect.

Ince was appointed initially on an interim basis with his assistant Alex Rae in February 2022 and, alongside the likes of Academy Manager Michael Gilkes and Under-18s manager Mikele Leigertwood in the dugout, he did an admirable job in helping the club stave off the threat of relegation with four wins from the final 14 fixtures last season.

Ince took the reins on a permanent basis in the summer and, having to cope with strict transfer embargo restrictions, he helped to piece together a new squad on a much-reduced wage budget - and with five wins from our first seven home games the season began brightly.

However, without a win in our last eight matches and with a relegation battle to fight following a six-point deduction imposed last week, owner Mr Dai Yongge has decided that a change is needed.

Assistant Manager Alex Rae has also departed the club.

Our Under-21s Manager and former Royals striker, Noel Hunt, has been installed as Interim First Team Manager until the end of the season.

Director of Player Development, Eddie Niedzwiecki, will be his Assistant Manager accompanied by First Team Coach James Oliver-Pearce – a management team who will take to the home dugout for the first time when we host league leaders Burnley at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday.

Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen, said “I would like to thank Paul and Alex for their efforts throughout what has admittedly been a frustrating and exceptionally challenging season so far. We would like to wish them well in their future endeavours.

“The board will work diligently to identify the manager who is the best fit for this football club going forward - a candidate capable of driving it towards a healthier, brighter future.

“However, for the next five games, our only focus is on doing everything we can to survive this season. Put simply, that means everyone – from myself, to the staff, to the supporters - lending all their support to Noel, Eddie, James and the first team players as we go into five crucially important games at the end of our 2022-23 campaign.”