Reading Director of Recruitment, Brian Carey, has labelled the last 12 months as the start of 'The Reading Reset'- and hopes to build on last year's strong 'foundations.'

The former Tottenham recruitment supremo arrived in Berkshire back in 2022 and spear-headed the club's recruitment policy while navigating a seemingly never-ending embargo.

Following relegation to League One in 2023, the Wrexham legend oversaw a summer of change 12 months ago, shifting to a younger and more long-term approach.

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Unable to move in the window until mid-July, the likes of Harvey Knibbs, Lewis Wing and Sam Smith all came in and became firm fan favourites in a tough campaign on and off the pitch.

Speaking exclusively to the Reading Chronicle, Carey discussed how he saw last summer as a 'reset' and how the entire backroom staff enabled the club to survive in League One.

"I really do think there's some really good foundations," he told the Chronicle. "I call it ‘The Reading Reset’ in terms of what's gone on. From Ruben's arrival and starting with Harvey Knibbs, anything after that for me is top-level work in terms of the guys, Ruben and his staff, where he has taken the players to another level. Some of them had a good basis anyway but all the players have improved and been taken to another level.

"In terms of where we are- we've not got a department it’s just me, Nick and Jackson- but we use a lot of the staff and their experience. We have some really good people in the club- I lean on Mark [Bowen], Noel [Hunt], Scotty [Peter Scott] and Gilksey [Michael Gilkes]-people that have been around the game. We’ve got a lot of experience in the building, good people with no egos and people willing to chip in and help out so we would been fools not to use that. Everybody's together on that- it's a united front behind the scenes.

(Image: jasonpix)

"In this age of using data to make decisions on players, without access to it, we stripped it back in terms of doing what we could with loans and free transfers but one of the priorities was players' personalities and what they were like. I do believe you have to be willing to put yourself through it to able to survive and to play. The availability of our players last was fantastic with no injuries and that’s down to the group of staff but also down to the players willing to get on board with that and be prepared to run that extra run and look after themselves all week and be ready for the weekend. It's tough but the lads loved it and every player is improved so there are great foundations for the club.

"The players that came into building all good human beings and wanted to get on with it. No selfishness and no big time, it is just a grounded group of people willing to work hard looking to be successful and looking to bring success to the club. It’s been a good starting point and good foundations put in so we're just hoping we can carry that on."

Still under embargo until at least January 2025, and currently unable to move in the window until progress is made on a takeover, Carey and the club look to have another tough summer on the horizon.