STEPHEN Quinn is ready to leave Reading FC on a temporary basis after recovering from what he describes as his 'darkest moment' in football.

The Irish midfielder played 70 minutes in Tuesday night’s 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Millwall in his first start for more than a year following a cruel injury lay-off.

Quinn, 31, endured a stop-start recovery and underwent multiple operations that made the Republic of Ireland international even consider retirement.

And he admits he has no idea whether he is part of Jaap Stam's first-team plans, though he could feature at Birmingham City this Saturday (3pm ko) with John Swift and Joey van den Berg ruled out through injury and Liam Kelly facing a late fitness test.

“I don't know where the manager sees me at the moment,” Quinn told the Reading Chronicle.

“I will probably have to look at going out on loan and getting some games.

“From speaking to him over the summer, it's probably best if I get out on loan and get some more games.

“I don't think abroad will ever be an option for me. If there is an option to go out on loan then it will most probably be in England.

“With the few injuries now that we've had he will probably want to keep me around. I will sit down with him and see what he wants me to do.

“But for me to showcase what I can do to the manager and for him to see what I can bring to the table was good.

“It's great for me to get some minutes and for my knee to hold up.”

Yet Quinn confessed his long battle back to fitness forced him to contemplate his future.

The ex-Sheffield United and Hull City ace added: “It's been a tough period. It was a long road, nearly getting back and then breaking down again.

“You have to stay strong and get through it, that's what I did.

“When you're out for so long and you have the operations and the injections and you're at your darkest moments retirement does cross your mind.

“It's good to come through that. I'm starting to crawl before I can walk.

“It was great to be out there again on Tuesday and pass the ball around the way we do.”

Quinn watched on as Stam steered Royals to a third placed finish in the Championship last season before losing to Huddersfield on penalties in the play-off final.

And the midfielder admitted it was painful not to be involved.

He continued: “It hurts but it was great to see.

“Some of the football we played was a joy to watch but I was just hurt that I couldn't get involved in it.

“The lads were awesome throughout last season and I was sat there watching it.

“It's a different season now and other teams might be on to us so we need to keep thinking about how we can break teams down.”

Putting his personal future to one side, Quinn insisted he is fully focused on helping the Royals achieve three points at St Andrews this weekend.

“Saturday is coming up and some of the lads will be back in the squad again,” concluded Quinn.

“Hopefully I'm kept in mind and I'll be available.

“We had a couple of midfielders come off in the last game against Preston.

“Some of these places like Preston and Birmingham away from home sometimes you need to go into it with a different mentality.

“It's the Championship and I have played in this league for a long time. Sometimes you can't pass your way out from the start, you have to win your battles and your one-on-ones before you get the right to play.

“Some of these places that's what you have to do especially when they are in your face and pressing you hard.”