AARON Tshibola is confident Reading FC will reap the rewards of the loan system when their youngsters join the first team ranks next season.

A number of players from the Royals Academy have been gaining valuable experience in the Football League over the past 12 months.

Midfielder Craig Tanner, 21, has helped Plymouth Argyle reach the League Two play-off final at Wembley after coming off the bench in their semi-final victory over Portsmouth at the weekend.

And if Royals loanee Tariqe Fosu can match that by helping Accrington Stanley overturn a first-leg semi-final deficit against AFC Wimbledon tonight (Wednesday), the 20-year-old will line up against Tanner in the final.

Once that is done and dusted both players will rejoin Reading's first-team squad for pre-season along with the likes of Dominic Samuel, Jack Stacey and Dominic Hyam.

Striker Samuel, 22, earned major plaudits for his performances for Gillingham in League One, while Stacey (Carlisle United) and Hyam (Dagenham) have also felt the benefit of going out on loan.

And Tshibola, who enjoyed a spell with Hartlepool United in League Two the previous campaign, says the loan process can only make Brian McDermott's Royals that much stronger.

“Obviously there are a lot of lads that have gone out on loan and have done well, so it can only be positive for this club,” said Tshibola.
“I went out on loan and did similar things to what some of the boys are doing now.

“The challenge now for the ones that have been out on loan and have done well is to come back in the pre-season and continue with that.”

He added: “Tariqe is in the play-offs, Jack Stacey just missed out on the play-offs and it’s not just them.

“You’ve got Craig Tanner at Plymouth as another example. It’s a positive future for the club and the youngsters coming through.

“Hopefully they can really help their clubs challenge for promotion and then come back here in the pre-season and see where it goes from.

“It gives everyone hope and the club a lift that we’ve got young players doing well out on loan.

“You’ve got lads getting stronger mentally because it’s not easy moving those long distances to a different club.”

Tshibola's improvement while on loan with Hartlepool pushed him up the Royals pecking order.

He was catapulted into Steve Clarke's first team for the start of the 2015/16 campaign and was a regular in the side when he picked up a serious ankle injury in a 4-2 defeat at Fulham last October.

Tshibola battled back to fitness but disaster struck in his first game back in the side when he tore a hamstring in the FA Cup win against Walsall in January and was forced to have an operation.

Tshobila has now made a full recovery and he is likely to play a key role for McDermott's first team in the Championship next season.

And he reflected on his using the loan system gave him a big advantage.
“Regardless of whether you’re top or bottom of the table with the club you’re on loan with it’s a learning curve,” he declared.

“When I joined Hartlepool we were rock bottom and thought we were dead and buried, but it was a great time for me to learn.

“Tariqe’s shown glimpses already of what he can do at Reading. Obviously he’s gone out to Accrington and is doing it on a consistent basis now, everyone at the club is happy for him and it can only be a big positive for him.

“Dom Hyam has gone to Dagenham and played some games and he’ll come back from that experience mentally tougher and stronger, and physically even better.

“I did the same, with hard work I came back and ended up getting an opportunity, so I hope that the lads can come back and do similar.”