Reading boss Ruben Selles has confirmed that assistant manager Andrew Sparkes was approached by Championship strugglers Sheffield Wednesday over their then-vacant goalkeeper coach role, but he turned them down. 

Sparkes, formerly a goalkeeper coach at Southampton, has spent over 20 years working in the game with the likes of Swansea City, New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg.

Joining Selles in Berkshire over the summer, he is a set-piece specialist and helps with goalkeepers on occasion.

The Owls, bottom of the second tier, recently appointed Danny Rohl as Head Coach and refreshed the backroom staff.

"Sheffield Wednesday, in their search for a goalkeeper coach, approached us to have a chat with Andrew," Selles said. "He has been an excellent goalkeeper coach in the Premier League but is in a different role for us. We gave him the freedom to speak with them, but he is committed to us and decided to not go through. He is happy with us."

The South Yorkshire outfit have since appointed former Reading keeper and coach Sal Bibbo.

Spending over a decade with the Royals, he coached the likes of Marcus Hahnemann, Adam Federici and Alex McCarthy and won two Championship titles.