Reading Football Club has announcde that Mark Bowen has been officially appointed to the role of sporting director with the Royals.

The former Welsh international full-back, who ended a long and impressive playing career with a very short spell at Madejski Stadium in December 1999, spent the end of the 2018-19 campaign helping manager José Gomes, his coaching staff and the players at Hogwood Park in their preparation for a successful end of season run-in that steered us clear the threat of relegation.

Chief Executive Nigel Howe said: “Mark proved a valuable asset to the first team structure when he joined us at the end of last season and he has been working from within our first team and Academy operations at Hogwood during the last couple of months. Mr Dai, the manager and I will now lend Mark our utmost support as he embarks on this new role at Reading.”