by The whole year inn »
30 May 2007 01:24
From the Telegraph,
Shorey's unlikely journey from Orient to Brazil
By Steve Thomson
When a chorus of "Shorey for England" rang out round the Madejski Stadium with increasing regularity during Reading's first Premiership campaign, the fans scarcely believed Nicky Shorey would actually be called up at the end of the season.
Injuries to Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge have opened the way for the former Leyton Orient defender, 26, to make his international debut against Brazil at Wembley on Friday night.
It completes a meteoric rise from Brisbane Road where he made only 16 senior appearances before having a trial with Reading, then managed by Alan Pardew. After he impressed in a reserve game against Bristol City, Pardew had little hesitation in parting with £25,000 in February 2001.
Shorey's career has progressed in tandem with Reading's advance to new heights with a record points haul in their Championship-winning season last year and an eighth-place finish in the top flight.
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Reading team-mates such as strikers Kevin Doyle and Shane Long have broken into the Republic of Ireland senior side while Leroy Lita has represented England's Under-21s. But Shorey's sudden accession to Steve McClaren's top table following his first B international appearance against Albania last Friday is the clearest evidence of all how players' talents can flourish under the shrewd tutelage of Steve Coppell.
Coppell's biggest problem in the future could be keeping Shorey under his wing as reports continue to link a player who grew up round the corner from West Ham's training ground at Chadwell Heath with a move to Upton Park. The West Ham connection runs deep. His father Steve was on the football development staff at West Ham but is now employed by Reading as a youth recruitment officer working across Europe. It would hardly be surprising if West Ham were keen to recruit his son because he starred in the 6-0 drubbing they suffered at Reading on New Year's Day. Shorey set up four of the goals.
Now he will be hoping to have as successful a debut for England as that enjoyed by the last Reading player to pull on an England shirt - one Herbert Smith, also a left-back, in 1907. England beat Scotland 1-0 at Crystal Palace on that occasion. A similar result would add to the fairytale for Shorey who gets married to Emily the next day before his next national assignment - probably in Estonia.
