Gladly, Clubs are in the 'Hunt'

Depending on how you see it, there was great news coming out of Reading today.

Nick Hammond says the club have no qualms about Stephen Hunt declaring he wants to leave.

Brilliant, send him packing and to the next bidder, whatever that bid might be.

Don’t get me wrong, Hunt is a very good player - his natural ability is questionable but his exuberance and work rate shines out like a beckon. He has scored some important goals in the Premier League, after playing only a mere cameo role in our promotion season. His dedication to stay with the club was inspiring and down to him Reading’s good (ish) name tarnished in the media with his incident with Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech. Did he mean it? Did he bollocks.

However, the second half of the previous season he was appalling, non-existence and if it wasn’t for the performances of Chris Armstrong our entire left side would have been very weak.

It’s beyond me what Sunderland, Wigan, Everton, Fulham and Bolton potentially see how Hunt could add anything to their teams but maybe a fresh start would be good for the Frodo look alike and propel him to perform to his ability rather than sulk like an irritable child.

Recently Hunt showed a vast lack of enthusiasm for Reading and rarely looks bothered whether he’s involved in the game or not. Therefore, the club and the fans should not want him at the club if he doesn’t want to be there.

It looks if he thinks he has gotten too big for the club so Reading should cash in – a £5 million pound release clause maybe a bit excessive and may scare of any bidders– and buy young player bursting with potential or give Hal Robson-Kanu a go down the left.

Even if he does go, it would be on a slight sour note, Hunt has given us all some good and some very funny memories.

The winner at Everton at home, the cheeky offside goal at Goodison, the one of six against West Ham, his involvement in Keith Gillespie’s sending off, they are all memorable but as this is a new era (it’s kept being said) and Hunt, a big personality living on past glories, needs to move on.

He will be missed. Who else can be as deceptive as he can in passing? or when he takes on defenders? The thing I will miss the most would be his tackling; it’s just not normal.