Coventry City transfer paved the way for Reading FC cult hero | OneFootball

Jay Tabb may not have started every game, but he was an excellent servant for the Royals during his time at Berkshire.

Reading signed then-Coventry City star Jay Tabb back in January 2009, when the club had the opportunity to secure an instant Premier League return.

The midfielder didn't feature that much under Steve Coppell during the early stages of his spell in Berkshire, but he did play in both of the Royals' play-off semi-final clashes against Burnley.

They didn't succeed and ended up losing 3-0 on aggregate against the Clarets, but that defeat may have been a blessing in disguise for Tabb, who would have had more chance of playing in the Championship than he would have done in the Premier League at that point.

During the summer of 2009, Brendan Rodgers came in from Watford and changed the playing style, something that didn't end up suiting the Berkshire side.

Tabb featured fairly regularly during the 2009/10 season though - and was part of a squad that was one half away from reaching the FA Cup semi-final during that season.

A brace from Shane Long allowed the Royals to go into the half-time interval with a 2-0 lead, but they collapsed in the second half and allowed Aston Villa back into the game. Villa won 4-2 in the end, which was a blow.

Brian McDermott had stabilised the club though, after Rodgers' rocky reign - and that was a positive for Tabb - who wouldn't have wanted to suffer relegation to League One.

Jay Tabb shone at Reading FC despite limited game time

Tabb was the ultimate professional.

During the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, he could have easily kicked up a fuss and pushed for a move away from the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Often finding himself on the bench, he could have become frustrated and not played his part when he was given a chance by McDermott to shine.

And though his attacking contributions may have been limited, his energy and work rate from the bench proved to be very important for the Royals during their promotion-chasing seasons.

His commitment certainly can't be questioned - and there are a couple of key games that stand out as memorable ones.

In March 2012, the Royals faced West Ham United at Upton Park, in what was a crucial tie for the former in their promotion quest.

Coming on for Jem Karacan early on in the second half, he only lasted 12 minutes in that game, because he injured himself trying to get the Berkshire outfit up the pitch.

Jobi McAnuff managed to get a shot off from that move - and the Royals should have done more with that chance.

The visitors were 3-1 up at the time and Tabb could have easily pulled out of the challenge, but he wasn't shy to get stuck in.

Thankfully for the Royals, he was ready to play in a vital away clash at Southampton in the absence of the injured Karacan and Mikele Leigertwood.

This game looked set to decide who was going to lift the Championship title at the end of the season - and a win for the away side at St Mary's would have all but guaranteed their promotion back to the top flight.

Tabb and Hayden Mullins, a makeshift pairing, stepped up brilliantly in a very high-magnitude game, and played their part in the Berkshire side's 3-1 win on the south coast.

Games like that reinforce just how important Tabb was, even if he didn't start every game.

And he also put in some admirable performances in the top tier during the 2012/13 season, even though the Royals weren't successful in battling against the drop.

Jay Tabb is fondly remembered by Reading FC supporters

The Royals' decision to sign the midfielder from Coventry certainly paid dividends, with the player contributing plenty to the cause.

He was unselfish, hard-working and embodied everything that the Royals were about during the period he was at the club, and fans appreciated that.

Though it's a shame he didn't win more minutes for the club, he was at the SCL Stadium during a successful period for the Berkshire outfit, and he will be grateful for that.

And at the time of writing, Noel Hunt could certainly benefit from having a player of his calibre in the middle of the park to run about like Charlie Savage does.