Lita: Hard work the key

LEROY LITA insists his emergence as the Premiership’s hottest young striker is down to nothing but hard work.

The 22-year-old has netted 10 goals in his last 10 games, including a timely equaliser for England U-21s in the 2-2 draw with Spain on Tuesday night.

His current productivity is a far cry from a barren spell earlier in the season when he was in and out of the team and was also the centre of a police investigation into an incident in a Bristol nightclub.

Manager Steve Coppell had always insisted the former Bristol City man was a quiet character who was dedicated to his game and Lita insisted he did not care if anyone else thought otherwise.

He said: “There was nothing wrong with my attitude or lifestyle. Why would I make any changes if there was nothing wrong with it? I have always been the same. People will read things and they make their own decisions about it but I don’t even read the papers, I don’t believe most of the things that are said.

“You can say anything about a footballer and if they are in the limelight people will just make something of it anyway. For me it doesn’t matter. I just stay the same, just make sure I work hard in training.

“The gaffer has given me the chance to get back in the team and I’ve done well so stuff like that doesn’t bother me one bit.

“Criticism doesn’t exist for me. People can say what they want — it goes in one ear and out the other. I put myself under pressure and no-one can affect me more than myself.”

With Shane Long also in fine form and last year’s preferred front pairing Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle both back in contention following injury Lita knows competition for a starting place is fierce at the Madejski Stadium, which will host the visit of Aston Villa tomorrow.

But Coppell never changes a winning team unless he has to so Lita knows he should have chances to add to a season’s tally of 14 — so far.

Lita grew up a Chelsea fan and was a youth team player at Stamford Bridge before being released. His boyhood hero wore the red and white of Arsenal however — Ian Wright.

He said: “When I was younger I had a hero but I’ve never spoken to Ian Wright. I used to be at the same agency and that’s about it.”

Coppell admits he has a different past master in mind when he sees Lita prowling in the box — West Germany World Cup hero of the 1970s Gerd Muller.

Coppell made it clear he was satisfied that his top scorer was now focused on nothing other than helping Reading consolidate their unexpected position in the top six.

He said: “I’m not going to dwell on it — it all happened a long time ago and hasn’t since.”