Royals skipper honoured

Reading captain Graeme Murty has been granted a testimonial after 10 years with the club.

The Scotland full-back joined from York in 1998 and has been integral in the Royals’ rise to the Barclays Premier League.

Murty, 33, will donate some of the funds from his testimonial year to local charity Swings and Smiles.

He said: “I am honoured that the club thinks highly enough of the services I have given over the past 10 years to grant me a testimonial.

“No matter how much I have given to the club, it has been repaid tenfold by everything that they have done for me.”

Chairman John Madejski added: “Graeme Murty has been a model professional throughout his 10 years and nearly 350 appearances at Reading and we are delighted to grant him a testimonial.

“It has been very gratifying to see how he has developed as both a player and a person as we have advanced through the divisions.

“We have shared some wonderful times together and he is fully deserving of this testimonial.”