How Stephen Hunt inspires Jonny Hayes

A chance meeting with Stephen Hunt after an Ireland training session this week reminded Jonny Hayes of one of his career turning points.

Both Irishmen were at Reading when the club earned their first-ever promotion to the top-flight in 2006 and each had their respective challenges that summer.

Hunt had been a peripheral figure in the Championship-winning campaign, assuming the role of impact substitute in a team dominated by Kevin Doyle’s firepower.