Noel Hunt replaces sacked Paul Ince as Reading boss on interim basis

The Waterford native will remain in charge until the end of the season as the Royals look to avoid relegation from the Championship.

NEW READING BOSS: Waterford native Noel Hunt prior to the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match between St Patrick's Athletic and Waterford at Richmond Park in Dublin in 2018. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Reading Football Club have confirmed that the contract of first team manager Paul Ince was terminated with immediate effect on Tuesday morning and that Waterford native Noel Hunt is to take charge until the end of the season.

Ince was appointed initially on an interim basis and he helped the club stave off the threat of relegation with four wins from the final 14 fixtures last season.

The former Liverpool and Manchester United midfielder took the reins on a permanent basis in the summer and, despite having to cope with strict transfer embargo restrictions, he helped to piece together a new squad on a much-reduced wage budget and claimed five wins from their first seven home games the season.

However, without a win in their last eight matches and with a relegation battle to fight following a six-point deduction imposed last week, owner Mr Dai Yongge has decided that a change is needed.

Hunt, who represented the club as a striker previously but was in charge of their U21s more recently, has been installed as Interim First Team Manager until the end of the season.

The Waterford native will take charge of his first game on Saturday when they welcome already promoted Burnley at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

“I would like to thank Paul and Alex (Rae, his assistant) for their efforts throughout what has admittedly been a frustrating and exceptionally challenging season so far. We would like to wish them well in their future endeavours," Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen told the club's official website.

“The board will work diligently to identify the manager who is the best fit for this football club going forward - a candidate capable of driving it towards a healthier, brighter future.

“However, for the next five games, our only focus is on doing everything we can to survive this season. Put simply, that means everyone – from myself, to the staff, to the supporters - lending all their support to Noel, Eddie, James and the first team players as we go into five crucially important games at the end of our 2022-23 campaign.”