Reading midfielder Jeff Hendrick came in for plenty of praise by both his manager and supporters after the 2-0 win over Bristol City.

Joining on loan from Newcastle United, the Republic of Ireland international has become a regular under Paul Ince in the engine room.

Like most against the Robins, his second half performance is what stole the headlines as his drive and tenacity played a part in most of the good spells at the SCL Stadium.

Speaking after the game, Ince commented: "You’re talking about top players that know the game. They’re cut, they’ve played at the highest level and we’re lucky to have them. Jeff was outstanding, best player on the park by a mile. I’ve asked him to be more influential in games. With Jeff you will always get a six or a seven, but he’s got much more than that. He’s a Premier League player and what we showed today was Premier League level."

Reading Chronicle:

Hendrick is not the only former international coming in for Ince's praise, with substitutes Shane Long and Andy Carroll combining in stoppage time to seal the victory.

On Long and Carroll, Ince added: "He [Hendrick] played the ball down to Shane [Long] and I thought I was quicker than both of them two- who’s going to get there first? Shane is so cute and clever, and you look for him to have a wise-head and pick the right pass. That’s what he did. It was a great finish because it was a touch wide. It’s important when you make those subs that they work, so it’s a great result for us."