Khunying Sasima Srivikorn’s Thai consortium are on the verge of becoming Royals’ new owners.

The deal will see Madejski sell 90% of the club for around £26 million and will mark the end of his 24-year reign as chairman.

The Thai group has already backed Nigel Adkins in the transfer market following the recent arrival of Anton Ferdinand, Simon Cox, Jamie Mackie, Glenn Murray and Oliver Norwood.

However, the takeover is yet to be formally approved by the Football League, though Madejski insists it is only a matter of time.

“They have been terrific,” he said of Srivikorn and her partners who include Police United FC owner Samrit Bunditkitsada. “They are decent, lovely people and I have enormous respect from them.

“I had a lovely email from Khunying Sasima Srivikorn recently asking how everything was going and saying how excited she was.”

He added: “What we have to appreciate is there is a different mentality in Thailand. We like to get things done yesterday over here, yet they take their time, which is great.

“I’ve said it before, they have a different modus operandi which is rather refreshing because it’s not as frenetic. I kind of like it.

“They all have very big hearts and they just want to get it done. They are ambitious people and they’re doing the best they can.”

Madejski is also in no doubt the takeover will be rubber stamped by the Football League soon: “We’re getting there,” he explained. “There is nothing in tablets of stone yet, but there will be.

“It just takes time and that’s all I can say really. It’s very difficult when our owners live the other side of the globe.”

Srivikorn’s takeover will wipe out Reading’s debt, which stood at £21 million when Russian Anton Zingarevich failed to complete his own attempt at a buy-out earlier this year.

At that time Reading were forced to sell Adam Le Fondre to Cardiff City for around £2.5 million in order to pay a tax bill.

A self-imposed transfer embargo was also adopted and five senior players including Jobi Mcanuff, Mikele Leigertwood and Kaspars Gorkss were released to cut costs.

Adkins was left with little option but to promote a host of Under 21 players such as Ryan Edwards, Michael Hector and Aaron Kuhl to the first team ranks to beef up his squad.

Royals’ boss then saw Alex McCarthy sold to QPR for around £4 million and Sean Morrison join Le Fondre at Cardiff for another seven-figure sum.

But Madejski insists that after a few turbulent months, the future now looks bright: “We’ve done very well in terms of some of the business we carried out,” he argued.

“We’ve got some very good players in so I think we’ve done rather well and I’m sure the fans will appreciate that.

“We’ve had this legion of injuries and what I think has also been fantastic is the fact we’ve been able to blood so many youngsters from the Academy.

“I talk to our fans and I know they are absolutely over the moon about that. It just shows what they can do and what we can do as a club, which is growing our own.

“That is the future of football, especially with plans afoot to restrict on bringing in foreign players.

“So you have to grow your own and we are well ahead of the curve on that one because we’ve been doing it a very long time.”

But he also stressed: “There is always this rock n’ roll money in football which is the devil of it really.”

Reading were without a Championship fixture last weekend due to the international break.

They return to action this Saturday when they host Fulham (3pm ko) followed by another home game next Tuesday against Millwall (8pm).