Reading FC player makes transfer admission following summer arrival | OneFootball

Reading goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis has admitted it would have been hard to turn down the opportunity of joining the Berkshire side in the summer when it was clear they wanted to recruit him, speaking to London Football Scene.

The 32-year-old was plying his trade as one of the first names on the teamsheet for Sutton United last term – but his contract was due to expire during the previous transfer window and that created uncertainty regarding his future.

And Paul Ince’s side, who were looking to rebuild their goalkeeping department after seeing four different shot-stoppers start for them last season, had been keeping close tabs on the Australian before they brought him in.

Quiz: Did Reading FC win, draw or lose the last time they played at these 18 stadiums?

1 of 18

1. Pride Park (Derby)

Win Draw Lose

Already bringing in Joe Lumley in June, the Royals completed their rebuild in this area later that month by announcing the arrival of Bouzanis on a free transfer, who officially linked up with his current club on the expiration of his contract at Sutton.

He is currently second-choice goalkeeper at the Select Car Leasing Stadium behind Lumley, though he has been able to make two competitive appearances for the Royals during this campaign so far, starting in a Carabao Cup tie against Stevenage before putting in a solid shift against Middlesbrough in August.

Even though he wasn’t guaranteed to be a starter in Berkshire, the stopper has admitted that the chance to make two steps up the football pyramid was too tempting in the end.

He said: “Reading had been watching me play and he (Paul Ince) got in touch saying he wanted to bring me in.

“Once that was the case, it was too hard an opportunity to turn down.

“Reading are a massive club, they’ve been in the Premier League and it just felt the time was right after all the hard work at Sutton.”

The Verdict:

Considering Lumley is only a loanee at the SCL Stadium, there’s always a chance he could become the Royals’ number one at some point in the future and this is why this was a move worth making.

The Middlesbrough loanee is also prone to errors, so Bouzanis needs to be ready to take his chance if it comes his way, with Ince not seeming like the type of manager who’s scared to make a change if needed.

In fairness, the Berkshire outfit’s current number one has performed reasonably well in general despite enduring a nightmare game at Rotherham United in August, but could have done better with Huddersfield Town’s consolation at the weekend.

For Bouzanis, it’s just a shame they went out of the Carabao Cup so early on, because he would have had the chance to play more in that competition if they had progressed past the first hurdle.

The FA Cup should give him the opportunity to shine though – and he needs to perform like how he did against Boro to give him the best chance of passing Lumley in the pecking order.