Reading Under-21s head coach, Noel Hunt, has said that he would love former teammate Shane Long to return to the club following his retirement last summer.

Hunt, leading the Royals youth team into the PL2 play-offs and the Premier League International Cup, played alongside Long for both Reading and Republic of Ireland from 2008 until 2010.

Long, after five years and more than 200 appearances, left for a decade of Premier League football before making an emotional return in 2021.

Scoring twice as the club were relegated to League One, Hunt stepped in as interim manager for the final five matches, with Long also featuring after returning from injury.

The 37-year-old retired in the summer of 2022, but Hunt would love for the club legend to return in some capacity.

"Between his golf and his tennis, he’s very busy," Hunt said. "I’ve asked him a couple of times but he’s earned the right to do what he wants with the career that he’s had- he’s been fantastic. I’d love to get him back involved in the club in some way because they’re the type of people that you want to be involved, people that are self-sacrificial and don’t see themselves as part of the equation- just the club."

Approaching a year since Hunt last took charge of the first team, the 41-year-old reflected on his job.

"It was great and I loved it. The results were tough but if you look back on it, we had Burnley, Luton, Coventry, Huddersfield and Wigan- where we did well but couldn’t get ahead. In terms of a learning experience, I couldn’t have been prouder of the lads because they showed up and how people like Shane came back and played through injuries to sacrifice themselves for the team. It taught me a lot about us as a group. Bringing that experience into this year, I think it helped."