MICHAEL Gilkes is the perfect addition to Jaap Stam’s backroom staff following his promotion at Reading FC.

That is the assessment of Royals boss himself after club legend Gilkes was moved from the Academy set-up to become first-team coach.

Stam had been looking to bring in another body following the departure of Steven Reid earlier this summer.

Gilkes, 52, will now work alongside Stam, assistant manager Andries Ulderink and goalkeeping coach, Dave Beasant as part of the first-team coaching staff.

The former winger and fans’ favourite will also provide a link between the first team and the Under 23s.

Stam said: “We were looking for someone who could fit in with the staff and had a certain personality and quality.

“I always like it when a player from the club joins the staff. He’s a legend over here with all the games he played. He was also a forward player so thinks differently to a defender like myself.

“Said was a defender as well, Andries was a striker and Dave a goalkeeper which is good.

“But Michael has good ideas and a good way of thinking about football. It’s important that he’s got his own opinion as well, you don’t want ‘yes men’, sometimes you want an argument with staff to stay sharp.

“We’re open to discussion and that’s what he also likes.”

Reading Chronicle:

Michael Gilkes will work closely with manager Jaap Stam, above.

Gilkes spent 13 years with Reading as a player between 1984-1997. He made 486 appearances and scored 52 goals and was part of the Royals team that won the Simod Cup in 1988, netting against Luton Town in the final at Wembley.

He re-joined Royals in 2013 as a youth coach within the club’s Category One Academy and completed his UEFA Pro Licence earlier this summer.

And Stam believes the addition of another homegrown coach will be a huge benefit in the Royals dressing room.

“It’s also good to have someone in who is English and knows the young players having worked with them in the past,” he added.

“He will keep in contact with the Under 23s coach to see what we need and what we expect of them when them come into the first-team squad.

“It’s a good opportunity for him and it’s great that he’s joined us.”

Gilkes’ promotion coincided with the arrival of Scott Marshall as the new U23s coach following Martin Kuhl’s departure earlier this summer.