Royal relief as Trap continues to play Long game

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI’S latest squad has been dominated more by those who were left out than those who were included, and Shane Long knows he is somewhat fortunate to have made the latter group.

He may have played in 18 of Reading’s 20 games so far this season, but 13 of those have been as a sub and three of his five starts have been confined to the Carling Cup.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to be in the squad when he narrowed it down to the 23, especially with the likes of Daryl Murphy not making it,” admitted Long last night. “It’s good for me and I’m delighted to be here.”

It’s been a strange few months at the Madejski, where Long has continued to be a presence on Trapattoni’s squad lists while the man keeping him out of Steve Coppell’s first XI, Noel Hunt, was being ignored.

That was rectified yesterday when the former Dundee United and Dunfermline hitman was rewarded for a start to the season that has delivered eight goals with a belated invitation to the team’s base in Dublin.

Long had been telling his countryman to expect the call for weeks and he seemed genuinely happy about the 25-year-old’s promotion to the senior international set-up after years of paying his dues in Scotland.

“He is a good player. Things didn’t really happen for me in the first few games this season. Noel came in and we haven’t stopped scoring since. He has done very well since he came. I’m delighted for him. He is a nice guy. He deserves everything he gets.”

As for Long, he has time on his side. He is still only 21 but the confinement to late cameo roles has been frustrating and it will hardly end while Hunt and Kevin Doyle are burning up the scoring charts.

The pair already have 20 goals between them and Reading are sitting pretty in Wolves and Birmingham City’s slipstream at the summit of the Championship.

“It is horrible watching the game, knowing you might only get the last 15-20 minutes if you are lucky but, as I say, the team keeps winning and Kevin and Noel keep scoring,” says Long.

“You can’t really have any complaints. I have to go into the game and do what I have to when I am needed. It is a case of biding your time.”

Coppell has, at least, expressed his belief in the young Tipperary man of late and Long doesn’t give the impression of someone who is about to march into the manager’s office with a transfer demand.

“If you are happy at a club there is no point in leaving, and I am happy there.”

Watching Doyle has been central to Long’s ongoing education. “He has come on in leaps and bounds. I know he was top scorer in his first season but it just all seems to be so easy this year. He is scoring for fun and he has an amount of time on the ball.

“I suppose, it is that knowledge that comes from knowing the game. He is a Premiership footballer and hopefully he will be back there with Reading.”