Reading favourite Yakou Meite has said that the club will 'stay in his heart' in his first major interview since leaving in the summer.

Meite, 27, first joined back in 2016 and played over 180 times in a seven-year stay.

Much-loved by supporters for his endeavour and knack for popping up with important goals, he walked away on a free transfer to Cardiff City following relegation to League One.

Speaking at length about his time at the club with French outlet 90Min France, he said his bond with supporters will remain forever.

"It’s a club that will stay in my heart because I pretty much developed there… I signed several contracts, I scored a lot of goals too and I had a great understanding with the fans.

“When you play at home and the fans have made a chant for you, you understand it, and it’s a pleasure. It gives you that extra boost… It surprised me, it followed me for all my years at Reading and because of that I felt very at home.”

For not far off a decade, you could hear 'We've got Meite, Yakou Meite, I just don't think you understand...' boom around the SCL Stadium when the Ivorian nipped in to score or chased down a lost cause and put in a big tackle.

Since moving to Wales, the former PSG youngster has scored once in 13 appearances.