Former Leeds United striker takes charge at Championship club as Man Utd legend sacked

Former Leeds United striker Noel Hunt has been appointed as Interim First Team Manager at Reading after Paul Ince was sacked by the Championship club.

The Manchester United legend joined the Royals on an interim basis in February 2022 and was later given the permanent job after avoiding relegation. Despite sitting third in the second tier after 12 matches, Ince’s stint in the south has turned sour after failing to win their last eight matches. With the club now sat in the relegation zone after enduring a six-point deduction, Ince has now been replaced by Hunt until the end of the season.

Hunt previously made 162 appearances for Reading before linking up with former Royals boss Brian McDermott at Elland Road. The former striker left the Whites with zero goals a year-and-a-half later and went onto play for the likes of Ipswich Town, Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic.

After coaching spells with Swindon Town and Doncaster Rovers, Hunt joined Reading as their Under-21s Manager in 2022 and is now set for his first stint - albeit it brief - as a first team head coach. The 40-year-old will be joined by former Chelsea goalkeeper, Eddie Niedzwiecki, as his Assistant Manager and the Royals’ first team coach James Oliver-Pearce.

Hunt now has only five games to save Reading from dropping down to League One and faces Leeds United’s local rivals in Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town to save their Championship status.