CONFIRMED - Michael Hector to Chelsea

[Hoop Blah]

What has tearing up the Premier League got to do with anything. All three you mention have made very good careers out of leaving us and ultimately playing at a higher level. I fail to see why people get all upset about people leaving RFC for a chance of having a far better career somewhere else, it's very small minded

To be fair, what has three players doing alright for themselves got to do with there being a long list of players who've left us, perhaps 'for better things', before dropping down the leagues?

I don't think the original post said anything about there being none who have done alright for themselves did it?

[Huntley & Palmer]

What has tearing up the Premier League got to do with anything. All three you mention have made very good careers out of leaving us and ultimately playing at a higher level. I fail to see why people get all upset about people leaving RFC for a chance of having a far better career somewhere else, it's very small minded

To be fair, what has three players doing alright for themselves got to do with there being a long list of players who've left us, perhaps 'for better things', before dropping down the leagues?

I don't think the original post said anything about there being none who have done alright for themselves did it?

It made mention of players from a long list that go elsewhere to sit on the bench, to then drop down the leagues. I'm struggling to think of many to be fair and Sidwell is often berated on here for doing as the poster suggested, when he has over 150 Prem League appearances.

I'm still waiting for this long list, perhaps you can help. It makes me chuckle how any player would dare attempt to further their career rather than stay here

[TBM]

Chelsea fans aren't happy

Say that he's no better than what's in their academy

[Angry Shed Sex]

Chelsea fans aren't happy

Say that he's no better than what's in their academy

They don't have any players left in their academy. They're all out on loan.

[Hoop Blah]

Without really thinking about it, here are a few that left us 'for better things' that didn't really work out that way for various reasons

Ashdown
Shorey
Lita
Kitson
Doyle
Seol
Bikey
Mills
Sonko
Little
Federici (so far but early days of course)
McCarthy (initially)
Halford
Hunt
Marriappa (not down the leagues,yet)
Kebe

I don't think any of them have left Reading and enjoyed any real success or progression have they?

[WoodleyRoyal]

A 5 year deal too,

[WoodleyRoyal]

Without really thinking about it, here are a few that left us 'for better things' that didn't really work out that way for various reasons

Ashdown
Shorey
Lita
Kitson
Doyle
Seol
Bikey
Mills
Sonko
Little
Federici (so far but early days of course)
McCarthy (initially)
Halford
Hunt
Marriappa (not down the leagues,yet)
Kebe

I don't think any of them have left Reading and enjoyed any real success or progression have they?

Yep, throw convey and Sean allaway into the mix too and that's the beginnings of a 'big list'

[WoodleyRoyal]

[Ian Royal]

Without really thinking about it, here are a few that left us 'for better things' that didn't really work out that way for various reasons

Ashdown
Shorey
Lita
Kitson
Doyle
Seol
Bikey
Mills
Sonko
Little
Federici (so far but early days of course)
McCarthy (initially)
Halford
Hunt
Marriappa (not down the leagues,yet)
Kebe

I don't think any of them have left Reading and enjoyed any real success or progression have they?

Several of those spent plenty of time in the PL and you can hardly chuck in players blighted by injury or in the twilight of their career.

There are relatively few reading players who have moved up in their prime or younger, stagnated without playing and dropped back down the leagues.

Shorey is really the only clear choice. Mills went sideways then down. Ashdown just taking cash I spose.

Halford wasn't wanted.

[RoyallyFcuked]

Without really thinking about it, here are a few that left us 'for better things' that didn't really work out that way for various reasons

Ashdown
Shorey
Lita
Kitson
Doyle
Seol
Bikey
Mills
Sonko
Little
Federici (so far but early days of course)
McCarthy (initially)
Halford
Hunt
Marriappa (not down the leagues,yet)
Kebe

I don't think any of them have left Reading and enjoyed any real success or progression have they?

That's true, and when you think of the list of players who left us for better things that DID enjoy success or progression, its a much smaller list.

Infact its only really Siggy and Siddy isnt it? Could probably add McCarthy and possibly Federici and Mariappa to that list too.

Worth noting that nearly all of those players played in the PL for a different club after playing for us, with varying levels of success.

For example Kitson and Sonko were failures at Stoke, but Hunt enjoyed some decent moments at Hull and Wolves, and Doyle did ok at first then fell away, but did they really progress and get better after leaving? No, not really.

[Huntley & Palmer]

Without really thinking about it, here are a few that left us 'for better things' that didn't really work out that way for various reasons

Ashdown
Shorey
Lita
Kitson
Doyle
Seol
Bikey
Mills
Sonko
Little
Federici (so far but early days of course)
McCarthy (initially)
Halford
Hunt
Marriappa (not down the leagues,yet)
Kebe

I don't think any of them have left Reading and enjoyed any real success or progression have they?

Most of them we let go at the end of their contracts or they ended up at Premier League clubs

[Hoop Blah]

The question was about players that left and didn't then improve their careers and specifically mentioned players going to Premier League clubs and then dropping down after not really making it, like some on that list.

Even those that were towards the end of their careers like Little or left because their contracts were up like Federici are still leaving us to try and go for a better option, as did Mills who left for the money and so called better chance at promotion.

Yet another player joins the long list to go elsewhere to initially sit on the bench and ultimately disappear back to the championship or the lower leagues, will they ever learn?

Yep because Steve Sidwell has rotted in the lower leagues

This was the original post and response. I think it's fair to say that there is a decent list of players who went elsewhere only to never quite better themselves. Stephen Hunt is one of those, he left us after giving up post-relegation, went back to the Premier then came back to the Championship.

[WoodleyRoyal]

http://www.london24.com/sport/football/ ... _1_4217180

Crystal Palace thought they had secured the transfer of Reading’s Michael Hector, only for the defender to join boyhood club Chelsea. The 23-year-old agreed a five-year deal with the champions on deadline day before returning to Reading on loan for the rest of the Championship season. But the former Millwall youngster would have been heading to Selhurst Park until Chelsea stepped in. “We had a deal for Michael Hector at Reading,” Palace chairman Steve Parish told Holmesdale Radio. “That was a done deal, we thought we had that one. Unfortunately the might of Chelsea came in and the player chose to go there. So at least we are getting the right targets, we are doing the right thing. “That was disappointing, you don’t get them all and we’ll live to fight another day. “I’m sure he’ll do very well at Chelsea and we wish him all the best, he supported them as a kid so you can tell whey he chose that one.”

[Royal Ginger]

Chelsea fans aren't happy

Say that he's no better than what's in their academy

That's probably true, but he's developed extremely quickly in the last two years. If he keeps that up he COULD be something special.

[TBM]

Chelsea fans aren't happy

Say that he's no better than what's in their academy

That's probably true, but he's developed extremely quickly in the last two years. If he keeps that up he COULD be something special.

I guess its low risk for Chelsea but considering they were after Stones, who i reckon can be a really good player for England....you can understand their frustration

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

I personally think that this is a great move for everybody. We give him games whilst Chelsea decide what to do with him; we get an extra CB for a year - and he has a season to impress his new bosses. If of course, we play him. And lets face it 4 mill is there or thereabouts

Without really thinking about it, here are a few that left us 'for better things' that didn't really work out that way for various reasons

Ashdown - He wasnt even first team for us. His move was definitely an improvement for him
Shorey -Granted
Lita - A succession of sideways moves. No blockbusters.
Kitson - Pretty much fits your description
Doyle - Wolves killed him. He was probably their best player (Mick loved him) but they didnt play him as a goalscorer
Seol -Hang on, we got him from the premiership. He left because we apparently sang songs about him eating dogs.
Bikey - ??? What was this big move again
Mills - We sold him to a team in the same league because we hated him
Sonko - He got dropped by Stoke because he kept treading on the ball, but he didnt go there to sit on the bench. They played him.
Little - LOL. What on Earth are you talking about here - he moved strictly for the contract. He was spent.
Federici (so far but early days of course) - LOL. Christ on a bike.
McCarthy (initially) - Still early days
Halford - We sold him for 'undisclosed reasons'. He's actually had a pretty decent career, given that
Hunt - Which one? Shunt was played frequently in the Prem. Nhunt was an end of contract special.
Marriappa (not down the leagues,yet) - So whats your point?
Kebe - Granted.

I don't think any of them have left Reading and enjoyed any real success or progression have they?

[floyd__streete]

From a selfish point of view, good news for the club itself as a move to CPFC would presumably not have included the loan back clause.

Bad news for the player himself in that he'll be consigned to Chelsea's 'buy and rent out' policy for the next few seasons. At least he'll be set for life I guess, that is the main thing, right Chelsea's policy of hoovering up as much young talent as possible if only to prevent their rivals from getting their hands on such players is as reprehensible as you would expect from that repulsive club.

[The Prisoner]

From a selfish point of view, good news for the club itself as a move to CPFC would presumably not have included the loan back clause.

Bad news for the player himself in that he'll be consigned to Chelsea's 'buy and rent out' policy for the next few seasons. At least he'll be set for life I guess, that is the main thing, right Chelsea's policy of hoovering up as much young talent as possible if only to prevent their rivals from getting their hands on such players is as reprehensible as you would expect from that repulsive club.

Nail on the head. They are just buying young English players for the home grown quota. See Victor Moses. Can't be much a life being farmed out every year. Will probably never play in a meaningful first team game. Hope he proves me wrong.

[CountryRoyal]

I don't understand why this a bad move from him?

Get paid considerably more to never play for Chelsea, and get loaned out to a team that isn't Chelsea.

Sounds ideal.

[Hoop Blah]

Not really bothered by the debate, just thought it was a bit of an over reaction by H&P to bring up Sidwell etc as if they were proof that there aren't a number of players who've left us and then generally failed.

Some of them are just natural career paths of course, but some are just bad career moves, a bit like Hectors could be.

I personally think that this is a great move for everybody. We give him games whilst Chelsea decide what to do with him; we get an extra CB for a year - and he has a season to impress his new bosses. If of course, we play him. And lets face it 4 mill is there or thereabouts

Without really thinking about it, here are a few that left us 'for better things' that didn't really work out that way for various reasons

Ashdown - He wasnt even first team for us. His move was definitely an improvement for him He left us at a time when he probably would've progressed to become our number 1, spent years on the bench or in the stands for Pompey before dropping down through the leagues
Shorey -Granted
Lita - A succession of sideways moves. No blockbusters. He was a bit of a special case, but he certainly thought he was going on to bigger things than us but never really had success to match, and despite moves to 'bigger' clubs he kept getting bombed out on loan
Kitson - Pretty much fits your description
Doyle - Wolves killed him. He was probably their best player (Mick loved him) but they didnt play him as a goalscorer Harsh perhaps as he did have success in the Premier League at first
Seol -Hang on, we got him from the premiership. He left because we apparently sang songs about him eating dogs. He still left us for a Premier League side but never quite made it (less than 20 games in 2 seasons) and got sent back to the the Saudi and Korean leagues.
Bikey - ??? What was this big move again He left us, in the Championship, to sign for Premier League Burnley. Guess you could argue he did ok there (including another relegation) but he was soon back in the Championship and is now a free agent after stints at Charlton and some side in Greece. Did he succeed elsewhere or end up back in the Championship?
Mills - We sold him to a team in the same league because we hated him We still left for a team he thought was bigger, better and more likely to go up than us, for the money ultimately, and where did he end up? Below us as we went on to win the league!
Sonko - He got dropped by Stoke because he kept treading on the ball, but he didnt go there to sit on the bench. They played him. So he was largely on the bench before returning to the Championship and below then?
Little - LOL. What on Earth are you talking about here - he moved strictly for the contract. He was spent. We wanted him to stay, he went elsewhere, admittedly for one last crack at the Premier League before his legs totally gave up, and then he ended up worse off.
Federici (so far but early days of course) - LOL. Christ on a bike. errrm, he's left us to go and sit on the bench at another club. We'll have to wait and see how that works out for him but my money is on him being back in the Championship or still on a bench in two years time.
McCarthy (initially) - Still early days
Halford - We sold him for 'undisclosed reasons'. He's actually had a pretty decent career, given that So we sold him to a Premier League side, where he bombed, and then ended up in the Championship after failing there?
Hunt - Which one? Shunt was played frequently in the Prem. Nhunt was an end of contract special. Stephen, and to be fair he did get a couple of Premier League moves before naturally dropping back down to his level in the Championship. It's probably harsh to have him on the list
Marriappa (not down the leagues,yet) - So whats your point? He's hardly played for Palace, but yeah, not dropped down back to his level yet, presumably because he's too expensive to attract a Championship club to take him not because he's been a success after jumping ship after a season with us
Kebe - Granted.

I don't think any of them have left Reading and enjoyed any real success or progression have they?