READING FC goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi has made football history by becoming the first Arab player to captain a professional English club, writes Anthony Smith.

The 34-year-old was handed the armband at Leeds United on Saturday in the absence of skipper Paul McShane.

McShane and Danny Williams were both serving the first of their three match bans following their on-field bust-up at Middlesbrough's Riverside stadium last week.

It proved to be a bittersweet day for Ali as Reading were beaten 3-2 by Leeds at Elland Road.

He said: “It is a very proud moment for me and for my family to be a captain of this football club.

“It is a huge thing for me and I am so pleased to have this opportunity to be captain of the team.

“Thanks to everyone who gave me their confidence and I hope to give more for this club.”

Al Habsi has clocked up more than 100 international appearances for Oman, most of them as captain.

But the ex-Wigan and Bolton stopper had never skippered a domestic club until Saturday.

“I have been the captain of the national team for a long time, but this was a big moment,” he added.

“I think I am the first Arab player to be captain of an English football team, and so that is a big moment for me.

“It is great for me to have the confidence of the fans, the manager, the staff and the football club.

“The most important thing for me now is to keep doing what I’m doing, and keep working hard at every single moment.”

Reading's loss at Leeds was their third Championship defeat in a row, leaving them 15th in the table ahead of a tough home fixture against fourth-placed Hull City tomorrow night (8pm ko).

Michael Hector fired Royals ahead, but Toumani Diagouraga and Chris Wood put Leeds 2-1 up.

Royals substitute Deniss Rakels made it 2-2 nine minutes from time, but Wood seized on a Jake Cooper slip by slotting past Al Habsi for an 86th minute winner.

Despite the defeat, Reading are now mathematically safe from relegation, though they are also 18 points adrift of the play-off positions.

Al Habsi admitted: “We’re not in the position that we want, but that is football.

“You always have to work very hard, but I am very happy to play for this football club and Saturday was a big moment for me and my family, both here and at home in Oman.

“The result was very disappointing, especially after what we showed in the first half.

“It was a fantastic performance, we scored the first goal and we had a lot of chances to score more goals.

“The second half didn’t start the way that we wanted as Leeds scored two goals from crosses, but we came back into the game and scored ourselves.

“But then they scored again in the last five minutes – it was unlucky.”

He added: “Sometimes when you are away from home and you don’t take the chances you have, you can get punished.

“Leeds didn’t have a lot of chances but they scored three goals.”

It was the second time in a matter of days Reading had lost to a late goal following their 2-1 defeat at title-chasing Middlesbrough when Adam Forshaw struck an injury-time winner for the hosts.

“In midweek we had a great performance, but we lost the Middlesbrough game in the last minute, and Saturday it was the same kind of scenario,” stated Al Habsi.

“We have to keep going and keep working really hard in the last four games.

“We have another game this week against Hull City so hopefully we’ll have a good recovery and be ready.

“When you show this form, the results will come. We had two games away from home and put in two very good performances, but got nothing.

“We have to keep going until the end of the season and we will try to make the fans happy on Tuesday when we play Hull at Madejski Stadium.”