FOURTEEN talented teenagers have been awarded full-time scholarships with Reading FC.

The group will help form next season’s Under 18s squad under the guidance of coach David Dodds.

They were formally inducted at Madejski Stadium recently and will now team up with last season’s first-year scholars.

Dodds said: “We invite the players and their families in so that we can give them a real overview of what is ahead of them for the next couple of years.

“We’re able to answer some of their questions and give insight into the training week and everything that goes along with being a scholar at our football club.

“This is one of the biggest jumps, where they go from U16 football into a full-time scholarship.

"They will be with us day-in, day-out – it becomes the first job in their careers. We’ve got boys here that have been with us since the age of nine, and some of them have come in later.”

The scholars will begin a full-time training programme combining their football education with academic studies.

The newly-inducted scholars are: Jamal Balogun, Kosta Sparta, Ethan Coleman, Andre Burley, Akinwale Odimayo, Gabriel Rosario, Leon Okuboyejo, Joe Wilson, Jordan Holsgrove, Danny Loader, Jack Buchanan, Harry Philby, Tom Holmes and Jazz Wallace.

  • READING'S trip to Sheffield Wednesday has been brought forward to Friday, March 17 (7.45pm ko).
  • In addition, Royals’ home clash against Fulham has also been changed to Friday, December 30 (8pm).