Royal flush as Hunt pens new deal after Keane transfer bids

STEPHEN HUNT is poised to become Reading’s highest earner after the Royals agreed to reward the Laois-born player’s endeavours, with a new contract.

The Ireland midfielder knew his bank balance was due to swell after Roy Keane made repeated efforts to bring him to Sunderland last month.

The Black Cats’ mainly-Irish financial muscle meant a lucrative contract was waiting for the 26-year-old in the north-east of England but Reading’s refusal to cash in on a player they had acquired for free in 2005 means they are now having to reward the player themselves.

And although Hunt made it clear his initial instincts were to at least listen to what Keane had to offer, he was now more than happy to stay in Berkshire to continue a fight against relegation that has an important instalment today when Bolton are the visitors.

“Reading knocked back a few bids at the start of the month and last week they knocked back another one so I knew where I was going to be,” he said. “Now I’m looking forward to working my butt off for six months for Reading.

“It’s a three-and-a-half-year deal and although there is one issue that needs to be sorted it is nothing to do with me, it’s between my agent and the club.

“I have unfinished business at Reading. I’m flattered that Roy Keane was interested and Sunderland are a big club who play in front of crowds of 47,000 but I am committed to Reading.

“We play attacking football and it suits me. We can look forward to pushing up the league. We are only five points off Newcastle so we have to look at getting up there.”

Ironically, Sunderland were one of a number of struggling teams who overtook the Royals in the final days of January, a month when Steve Coppell’s side picked up not a single point.

Bolton were another but Reading will be hopeful of ending a four-match losing streak in front of their own fans and have former Cork City striker Shane Long available again following a one-match ban.

Coppell has added just two new faces to his squad in Marek Matejovsky and Jimmy Kebe but Hunt was unconcerned.

“We never made many signings,” he insisted. “We didn’t go out and sign four players this time last year.

“It is the manager’s way of doing things. If you go crazy, what happens if you get relegated?”