FORMER Reading frontman Simon Church returned to lead the line for Brian McDermott’s Royals at the club’s 150th anniversary game.
The Welshman scored a goal in the first half, finishing off an excellent team move with typical aplomb.
Church relished the opportunity to reunite with his ex-teammates at the ground they once called home.
“It was an amazing occasion,” he said. “It’s always nice coming back to the stadium and seeing everyone again.”
“We all had a good time even though it actually started off a little bit heated. I was like, wow, we definitely can’t keep this up. But yeah, amazing day all round.”
“With it being the 150th anniversary of the club and to be part of one of the most successful teams is an amazing feeling.”
Church spent ten years at Reading, arriving from Wycombe Wanderers at the age of 14.
In that time, the striker scored 24 goals in 122 appearances in all competitions.
“From a club level, it was the best period of my career here,” he said. “I’ve only got fond memories of being at Reading and it’ll always be close to my heart.”
“It’s been ten years, but it’s like it was yesterday. We had such a good group and I didn’t get that anywhere else in club football.”
“Obviously winning the league and achieving what we did gave me a good base to move on to what I did internationally.”
As a Reading player, Church broke into the Welsh national team, with whom he received 38 caps and scored three goals.
He was part of the historic Wales squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 in France.
Church was also an important member of McDermott’s Championship-winning side, scoring seven times in 31 appearances during the 2011-12 campaign.
Two of these goals came in a crucial 3-0 win over promotion rivals West Ham in a game that the forward remembered fondly.
“Brian actually dropped me, it was on my birthday and I came on and scored two,” he explained.
“It was an important game for us and we all had a good time after as well. It was a pivotal game.”
