Reading FC have signed 11 young players up to new contracts to retain them for the 2024/25 campaign.
The players are expected to be used throughout the youth teams next season, however some may be given chances among the first-team as we saw with plenty of young players last season under Ruben Selles.
The players signed to new deals are Adrian Akande, Matthew Rowley, Jay Senga-Ngoyi, Michael Stickland, Basil Tuma as well as graduating scholars Joseph Barough, Boyd Bearcroft, Harrison Rhone as well as Kiyan Coke-Miles Smith, Jarae Jones and Emmanuel Osho.
Akande has spent time in the academy’s of both Crystal Palace and Chelsea and put in several excellent displays for Noel Hunt’s U21s side last season in Premier League 2.
He is an attacker and managed to score three goals and claim seven assists in 14 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign, including some eye catching performances as the Royals made it all the way to the semi-finals of the Premier League 2 play-offs.
Goalkeeper Rowley has had a taste of first-team football with loan spells with both Beaconsfield and Dover Athletic.
Senga-Nogyi has already appeared for the first-team when he was handed his debut on the final day of the 2022/23 season as Hunt took interim charge for the final few games.
He had a loan spell with Scottish Championship side Ayr United at the beginning of last season and played 11 times.
Stickland is the captain of the U21s side and was shortlisted for the Premier League 2 player of the season award last season.
He has also made first-team appearances in the 2021 Carabao Cup and also in the Championship against Middlesbrough.
Tuma is a forward who joined the Royals after a spell in Fulham’s academy.
He has also featured in the first-team, appearing off the bench in League One matches against Cheltenham Town and Exeter City. He also appeared in the Carabao Cup against both Millwall and ipswich Town.
