"League Two" claim made as Reading FC are urged to consider January loan | OneFootball

FLW's Reading fan pundit is keen to loan out goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke in January.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Reading may be struggling financially, with supporters hoping that owner Dai Yongge will sell the Berkshire outfit as quickly as possible, but results on the pitch are positive for Ruben Selles and the majority of his young playing squad.

It remains to be seen what the future of the third-division side holds, but Selles has continued to try to get the most out of the players he has available to him, and he has done a remarkably good job at the League One outfit under difficult circumstances.

Selles is operating with one hand tied behind his back at this stage. Although on paper, the Royals have a decent first XI, with some excellent young talent continuing to impress for them. There are many teenagers who Selles has been forced to thrust into the action earlier than planned due to the small squad that they have.

Unfortunately, square pegs in round holes have been required because of their ownership situation, with the EFL limiting the Royals to bringing in just one addition during the summer transfer window. Chem Campbell was the only man to join, coming in to address a hole outwide following the departure of Femi Azeez.

At some stage, the club will hope that they are in a position to recruit more seniority, but in the meantime, they probably won't be able to make any further additions until current owner Yongge sells the club. With their ownership situation and lack of summer signings in mind, they are doing a fairly good job at this stage, but it's stopping some players from heading out on loan until further first-team level players have joined the club.

However, despite having a thin squad as it is, there are still some players who are not featuring regularly enough, with those needing a loan move to further their career away from Berkshire for now. We asked FLW’s Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt for his thoughts on who should be loaned out in January, and why.

He said: "I think there are a lot of young fringe players there that would benefit from a move.

"But the one we should look to develop would be Coniah Boyce-Clarke the keeper.

"He has obviously got a lot of potential, but he needs a run of games at sort of League Two level to learn more about the game.

"To learn more at men's football level and I think he has struggled a bit there.

"In the few appearances that he has made, there always seems like a mistake in him.

"But that will come with experience, so I think that would be the best move at this time."

Coniah Boyce-Clarke's future at Reading behind Joel Pereira

Selles has worked his magic, and he has managed to get Reading playing some fantastic football, but not every young player has thrived after being placed in the spotlight in League One.

They suffered a disappointing 1-0 home loss against Leyton Orient not long ago, but they only suffered a defeat in that game due to a major goalkeeping error. Boyce-Clarke was at fault, but he has long been considered a promising talent within Reading's ranks, but at 21, he is at a pivotal stage in his development.

While he’s shown glimpses of potential, regularly deputising behind Joel Pereira won’t give him the game time he needs to progress. A loan move would allow him to gain valuable first-team experience, which could be crucial for his long-term future.

Being stuck as an understudy will likely limit his opportunities, and it is in a position where Reading also have David Button, so it isn't one of the areas that they are struggling with. For Boyce-Clarke, at this point in his career, consistent match action is essential. He has the raw attributes to thrive, but without exposure to regular senior football, his progress could stagnate.