KEVIN Doyle rolled back the years, leading the line for Steve Coppell’s 2005-06 Royals at the club’s 150th anniversary game.
He inevitably got on the scoresheet, firing home with a ferocious right footed strike midway through the second half.
The exertion seemed to get the better of Doyle, however, who was left seated on the halfway line at moments during the contest.
“It was good fun,” he said. “It was a bit warm on the pitch, but it was great to be back and see some familiar faces.”
The frontman signed from Cork City in June 2005, originally posing as back-up for established forwards Leroy Lita and Dave Kitson.
Nevertheless, injuries provided the Irishman with a golden opportunity to prove his worth. Doyle duly obliged, scoring 19 league goals in the 2005-06 season.
He recollected his first Reading goal fondly, saying: “I remember my first goal here [at home], it was against Burnley.”
“I came on as a sub and I scored a header. That was a big moment for me in my career.”
His contributions helped the club secure Premier League status for the first time in their history, winning the title with a record-breaking 106 points.
“Getting promoted at the end of my first season here was really special,” he said.
“It’s difficult to pick one moment from that season to be honest because it was such a great year.”
“It was just what we achieved that really stands out.”
The striker went on to enjoy a fruitful debut season in the top flight, scoring 13 goals in 32 appearances. The side finished eighth, missing out on European football by a point.
Doyle’s travails were rewarded with a PFA Young Player of the Year nomination, an award which was won by Cesc Fabregas.
The forward praised the long-standing camaraderie he and his ex-teammates have shared since their days as Royals.
“As soon as you walked back into the dressing room it was like we’d only seen each other yesterday,” he explained.
“And it should be like that to be honest because we had a lot of success together and we’ve shared a lot of special memories.”
