CHRIS GUNTER believes Reading are ready to banish the disappointment of last season and challenge for promotion under Steve Clarke.

It was a season of frustration in the league last year but there’s fresh hope around the Madejski Stadium that it will be a completely different story this season.

Clarke has had a full pre-season to work with his squad and has made some shrewd acquisitions, with Reading’s squad almost certainly stronger than it was last year.

The Reading boss still wants to bring three players in to boost his side further and Gunter believes it could be an exciting season for the club.

“We know we have to be better than last season but it’s a fresh start now and I’m confident we will be,” said the Welsh international. “It’s been a good summer and the real stuff starts Saturday.

“The opening day of the season is where you really feel it’s everything we’ve been working towards for the past six weeks.

“We feel we’re ready, we’re in good shape and we’ll be preparing well for a game where we’ll be judged.

“We want to get our season off to a good start, it’s a good game for us and the first game of the season always has that special feeling to it.”

He continued: “You wouldn’t have predicted Bournemouth to go up and Wigan to go down last season but that’s the Championship, we just need to look after ourselves.

“If we win on Saturday then we’re not suddenly going to win the league and if we lose then it doesn’t mean we’ll have a season like last year.”

Reading begin their Championship campaign at Birmingham on Saturday, the scene of last season’s 6-1 defeat that Gunter remembers vividly.

It signalled the end of Nigel Adkins’ time in charge of the Royals but Gunter says there’s no extra motivation needed for the Royals.

“A lot has changed since then,” he explained. “I think it’s more for people outside to look at that but if you ask half of our squad what the score was then they wouldn’t even know as they weren’t here.

“For the ones that were, maybe [it’ll be on their mind], but you wouldn’t know until you get there really.

“But we’ll go there on Saturday and we certainly won’t need any more motivation than it being the opening day of the season.

“There’s always a different feel around the place in the week leading up to the season. 

“You go into every pre-season game wanting to win but obviously nothing can replicate the buzz that you get from the competitive games.”