Reading's best ever versatile player

[Thaumagurist*]

Reading that thread about Jay Tabb not being a right back has me thinking about the versatile players we've had over the years. Who do you think was the best versatile player we've had - somebody who could play competently in a number of different positions? I can think of a few players so far:

Mick Gooding - could play in midfield and full back.
Mick Tait - could play centre defence, midfield and forward.
Michael Gilkes - could play full back, wing or forward.

What do you reckon?

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Jimmy Quinn - Played up front, at centre half and in goal not bad for a striker.

[Wimb]

Ricky Newman and Andy Hughes were both capable* of playing anywhere and both played all across the back 4 and midfield iirc.

*note capable and with ability are different things

[Dorset-Knob]

PARKY!

[Royal Rother]

For 6 games David Lee.

[Terminal Boardom]

The best we have at the moment has to be Gunnarsson. RB, CM and CB. Best I have seen? Steve Hetzke.

[bracknell loyal royal!]

Met the lad last night in the Wetherspoons opposite Brixton Academy, thought i was going mad! I approached him as he was leaving and asked whether it was the infamous Jay Tabb, turns out it was and we spoke, he said that he was and that he really enjoying playing right-back, he said he just loved being on the pitch and said we deserved to win Saturday. He was off to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Brixton too, as he said he lives in Putney and doesn't get to go to many gigs, and was there along with his brother, top bloke!

[Derbyshire Royal]

Steve Hetzke - played everywhere except goal......I think


Oops missed the post from TB!

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

For 6 games David Lee.

I work with the guy.

He never shuts up about it.

6 in 6 wasn't it? Still takes a great fk too....

[Gordons Cumming]

Without doubt - Adie Williams.

Wore every shirt from 1 -11 (in the days when there weren't squad numbers!)

[Dirk Gently]

Andy Hughes - was equally as rubbish wherever he played .....

[Thaumagurist*]

Andy Hughes - was equally as rubbish wherever he played .....

He also had no positional sense, always strayed from his original position. However, that wasn't always a bad thing as he'd be in the mix to clear a dangerous ball....

[Elliott]

Stephen Hunt?

Left Wing
Right Wing
Left back before we brought in Armstrong last season
Support Striker?
Has now played up front for Hull a couple of times?

[Dirk Gently]

Without doubt - Adie Williams.

Wore every shirt from 1 -11 (in the days when there weren't squad numbers!)

Wasn't he substitute as well? So make it 1-12.

[Ian Royal]

Was going for Williams as well. I think he probably managed all three substitute numbers which would put him at 1-14.

[Royal Rother]

For 6 games David Lee.

I work with the guy.

He never shuts up about it.

6 in 6 wasn't it? Still takes a great fk too....

5 games, 5 goals actually, from defence. He was a one man team for that little spell. Without the injuries I reckon he could have gone right to the top. Every time he came back into the Chelsea team after missing a few months or more he seemed to ooze class to me. A real shame he didn't get the chance to properly fulfil his talent.

How does he view his time? Sad, philosophical or just grateful to have got where he did?

[Terminal Boardom]

Jerry Williams didn't fare too badly in the versatility stakes. Centre forward, right wing and right back. On the wing he gave Kenny Sansom the hardest 90 minutes of his life.

Adie Williams may have worn every shirt but he was only ever a CB.

[Hoop Blah]

He was outstanding, but he didn't play all 5 games at the back RR, he played a few in central midfield.

Was still a class above, and remember him saying so too. Look where that got him in the end though...not the long and successful career his obvious talent deserved.

[Hugo Boss]

Jerry Williams didn't fare too badly in the versatility stakes. Centre forward, right wing and right back. On the wing he gave Kenny Sansom the hardest 90 minutes of his life.

Adie Williams may have worn every shirt but he was only ever a CB.

He definitely played in goal once and i'm sure played in central midfield in his very early days with us. Also seem to recall him playing up front circa 1994 for a game or two.

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

For 6 games David Lee.

I work with the guy.

He never shuts up about it.

6 in 6 wasn't it? Still takes a great fk too....

5 games, 5 goals actually, from defence. He was a one man team for that little spell. Without the injuries I reckon he could have gone right to the top. Every time he came back into the Chelsea team after missing a few months or more he seemed to ooze class to me. A real shame he didn't get the chance to properly fulfil his talent.

How does he view his time? Sad, philosophical or just grateful to have got where he did?

I think he enjoyed being part of a squad to be honest. I know he had avery bad leg break about 2 years b4 he left Chelsea and a broken leg then was a lot more serious than today.

I seem to remember him being dubbed the English Leboeuf, though he don't like it when I bring up Reading fans nick naming him Trigger....