JAY Tabb is prepared to play a waiting game in order to establish himself in the Reading first-team.

Boss Steve Coppell swooped to land the 24-year-old from Coventry City last week for £300,000 which could double on appearances.

But the 24-year-old is yet to force his way into Coppell's Championship squad and he is not expected to be involved in Saturday's home game against Preston.

However, Tabb, who has signed a deal until summer 2011, admitted: "It's a waiting game. When you come to a club near the top of the table you can't expect to walk straight into the squad. I've just got to get my head down in training and the manager says I've done quite well so far.

"I did okay for the reserves game against Spurs last week so I'm sure that if I bide my time and keep working hard I will get a sniff in the future."

And he added: "I don't know what my chances are for this weekend. The boys have got two good results in their last games with Wolves and QPR so there's not much reason to change the team or the bench really.

"I just have to keep doing well for the reserves, keep scoring goals and creating chances and hopefully my chance will come.

"The thing with football is something always happens whether it's suspensions or injuries. Fingers crossed it doesn't happen because we're going well.

"I will have to be patient and wait for my time to come. Every game is big now. The rewards are huge at the end of the season and everyone knows what they are."

Tabb, who is also on the verge of breaking into the Republic of Ireland squad, was eager to move back south to be closer to family and friends.

And when Coventry failed to offer him a new deal, he wasted no time in linking up again with Coppell who knew him as a youngster with Crystal Palace and Brentford.

"I'm settling in well and I'm renting a flat in Putney with my friend," explained Tabb. "If the travelling becomes a nightmare I will move a bit closer.

"I've been training for a couple of weeks now. I'm enjoying it more with each session and I'm getting on well with the lads. It helps knowing quite a few of them from Brentford already."

It was Royals coach Wally Downes who gave Tabb his league debut when he was boss of Brentford.

"Tabb is a player we've known for ages and he'll be chomping at the bit to get in the team," said Downes.

"I gave him his first-team debut at Brentford at the age of 16. He was a bit smaller and not as chunky but he was never going to be a big 'un because his old man's chunky.

"But essentially he was the same then as he is now, a terrific footballer. He understands the game, he's got two good feet, good enthusiasm, he's brave and he's a very good footballer."

And Downes says Reading had been tracking the versatile midfielder for years following regular tip-offs from scout Geoff Taylor who was Tabb's youth team coach at Palace.

"Geoff Taylor has reared him since the age of 12," he explained. "He was the youth team coach at Crystal Palace and he brought him through.

"He's always pushed for Jay. He used to beg me to tell Steve to go after him. He came in and trained with the first-team a couple of times. He wasn't good enough to get in a good Brentford side but when players left there was an opportunity for him.

"I couldn't play him all the time so I would pick and choose his games. But when he did play he was very instinctive and I know he will do well for us.

"He went on to become Player of the Year with Brentford and Coventry and he's the sort of player everyone likes."

Royals have also landed Ipswich Town's Dan Harding on loan until the end of the season and Downes added: "We've brought in Dan to liven things up down the left-hand side because there is no protection for Chris Armstrong if he was to get injured.

"We could move Liam Rosenior or Julian Kelly around but it's not ideal so this will only strengthen us."