Member of Parliament for Reading East, Matt Rodda, has called for iconic former Reading Football Club owner Sir John Madejski to be 'a model' for whoever takes over the club.

Mr Rodda MP has been campaigning for a change in ownership, marching with supporters last month in protest to the owner and discussing the club's plight in the Houses of Parliament.

He has been campaigning for the Royals to be a test case for the new independent football regulator, something the government are unable to grant at this stage.

Speaking exclusively to the Reading Chronicle, Mr Rodda said: "I really hope that Reading can have a more suitable, responsible owner, like Sir John Madejski. He should be a model for any owner that we get. Sir John was an amazing owner of the club, and he put the interests of the club first as a long-time Reading supporter and local man. That’s the type of person we want, not a businessperson who primarily sees the club as a way to make money."

Madejski bought the club in 1990 and oversaw a transformation from the third tier into the Premier League, twice, and the move from Elm Park to the Select Car Leasing Stadium in 1998.

He sold the club in 2016 but still remains a prominent figure in the local community.