BRIAN McDermott is convinced his current Reading FC team have the makings to become one of the best in the club’s history, writes Anthony Smith.

Royals are enduring a mixed season and a poor run before Christmas cost former boss Steve Clarke his job.

But results have steadily improved under McDermott and his side were unlucky not to win at title-chasing Derby County on Tuesday night following a 1-1 draw.

Yet McDermott has clearly seen plenty of promise in the players he inherited, and he believes some could go on to write their names in club folklore.

The 54-year-old manager, who won the 2012 Championship title with Reading during a previous spell in charge, declared: “I’ve seen a lot of teams at Reading over the years and this team can really play, they can pass it, they move the ball.

“I didn’t make any substitutions on Tuesday night because I felt all the time that we were going to go on to win the game.

“We played very well, we did our jobs which is important. We showed good quality and good spirit.

“The players tried everything to win the game, so I can’t be disappointed by just a point.

“I can never be disappointed when I see the players giving us everything.

“We didn’t go there for a draw, we went there to win the game, and we’ll try to win every game we’re involved in. We’ve got to be proud of what we’ve done.”

McDermott is only the second manager in Reading’s history to win promotion to the top flight after Steve Coppell did it in 2006.

Coppell’s side, boasting the likes of Marcus Hahnemann, Graeme Murty, Nicky Shorey, Steve Sidwell, Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle, won the Championship title with 106 points, a record which still stands.

While McDermott’s current crop of players have a long way to go to emulate those achievements, he believes they are showing plenty of encouraging signs.

“We’re trying to build something, we’re trying to build a good side going forward,” he explained.

“We’ve got good players in our dressing room, a good spirit and they can play.

“We’ve shown that over the last three games or so. We’ve won one and drawn two and we probably should have won them all. We’re just trying to improve, day in, day out.”

Reading travel to struggling MK Dons this Saturday with skipper Paul McShane, Jordan Obita and Aaron Tshibola sidelined through injury.