Ben Hamer

[Rudolph Hucker]

I see Ben Hamer played in goal for Leicester against Porto in the Champions last night and despite letting five in did pretty well. Does that somehow make him the most successful of all the young goalkeeping prospects we've sold on over the years; Ashdown, Young, McCarthy, Andersson, even Federici??............none of which have managed regular first team football since leaving Reading.

[muirinho]

I see Ben Hamer played in goal for Leicester against Porto in the Champions last night and despite letting five in did pretty well. Does that somehow make him the most successful of all the young goalkeeping prospects we've sold on over the years; Ashdown, Young, McCarthy, Andersson, even Federici??............none of which have managed regular first team football since leaving Reading.

Isn't he their third choice goalkeeper? Playing a dead match to get a run out doesn't exactly make him successful.

[paultheroyal]

I see Ben Hamer played in goal for Leicester against Porto in the Champions last night and despite letting five in did ok. Is that the most highest profile match our young goalkeeping prospects have played over the years that we have sold on; Ashdown, Young, McCarthy, Andersson, even Federici??............none of which have managed regular first team football since leaving Reading.

Now edited for you - your post might have a chance.....perhaps.

[Rudolph Hucker]

Nice re-wording there Paultheroyal. Certainly makes my original post less open to misinterpretation.
I remember the time posts didn't have to be tweeked to make them abuse proof!!

[genome]

FA Cup Semi Final and Championship Play Off Final >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dead rubber Champions League group match

Federici wins.

[Rudolph Hucker]

Aye, several big games in a Royals shirt but only fleeting appearances in the cups and Premier League bench warming since he left.

[tidus_mi2]

The real question is, does that make him the first Reading academy graduate to play in the Champions League?

Only 2 I questioned were Gylfi, but Tottenham never reached the Champions League while he was there, the other was Mikkel Andersen, he did play in the Champions League but as he joined us at the age of 18, I'm not convinced he counts as an academy player.

[Sutekh]

The real question is, does that make him the first Reading academy graduate to play in the Champions League?

Only 2 I questioned were Gylfi, but Tottenham never reached the Champions League while he was there, the other was Mikkel Andersen, he did play in the Champions League but as he joined us at the age of 18, I'm not convinced he counts as an academy player.

Depends. Do you interpret an Academy graduate only as being a player signed when a school kid and therefore being part of some/all of the teams up to U16 or do you interpret it as any player signed up at any age who then plays, initially, in any Academy team up to and including the U23? If the latter then Andersson and Shane Long etc. are Academy products, if the former then they are not.

Personally my interpretation is the latter as the club is investing Academy time, money, resource in furthering their ability to see if they can make the professional game whether it's for 6 months or 6 years. Therefore Andersen is the answer.

[Steve_Upper_West]

FA Cup Semi Final and Championship Play Off Final >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dead rubber Champions League group match

Federici wins.

Maybe so..... just a shame that IMHO both occasions got the better of him - a confidence player who needs to be playing regularly.

Al-Habsi has been an unexpected revelation but I cannot help thinking, how fantastically well suited Feds would be to our current style of play at the back.

[tidus_mi2]

FA Cup Semi Final and Championship Play Off Final >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dead rubber Champions League group match

Federici wins.

Maybe so..... just a shame that IMHO both occasions got the better of him - a confidence player who needs to be playing regularly.

Al-Habsi has been an unexpected revelation but I cannot help thinking, how fantastically well suited Feds would be to our current style of play at the back.

Absolutely, the guy was certainly comfortable on the ball and when he needed to his distribution was very good, he had a mistake in him like Al Habsi but he would always pull off some great saves.

I'd have him back if the opportunity was there, he never plays at Bournemouth.

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

Mikkel Andersen is counted by the club as an 'Academy Graduate,' which I believe is because he played a number of times for our Under 18s when he joined

Although, he only featured in the Qualifying Stages of the Champions League, playing one game for Midtjylland last season (a 2-0 win over Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps)

If you were to allow those like Andersen who have played in qualifiers, you therefore could include...

Viktor Illugason - Breidablik (featured in one game, a 2-0 win over Rosenborg in 2011)
Ryan Catney - Cliftonville (played in four games, including both legs of a 0-5 aggregate defeat to Celtic in 2013, yet to be on the winning side)
Tom Hateley - Motherwell (played both legs of a 0-5 aggregate defeat to Panathinaikos in 2012, the Well's only ever appearance in the competition)

However this is all irrelevant, as a Royals Academy Graduate did feature in the Champions League Group Stages last season...

Jem Karacan - Galatasaray (his one and only match for Gala, playing the full 90 away to Atletico Madrid in a 0-2 defeat)

With all that in mind, a couple of quiz questions for you...

Who was the first Reading Academy Graduate to feature in the Group Stages of a major European club competition?

Who are the only two Reading Academy Graduates to feature in the knockout rounds of a major European club competition?

Who is the only Reading Academy Graduate to have played at arguably the pinnacle of the sport, the FIFA World Cup?

(By 'major European club competition' I mean Champions League/Europa League, and by 'feature' I mean actually get onto the pitch)

(Also for this post and those questions, I'm classing 'Academy Graduate' as someone who played for our Academy sides and went on to earn a pro contract/squad number at the club - in other words we can't claim people like Charlie Austin or Ji Dong-Won)

[Rudolph Hucker]

Now that's an answer!
Strap, you've got competition.........

[Woodcote Royal]

FA Cup Semi Final and Championship Play Off Final >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dead rubber Champions League group match

Federici wins.

Maybe so..... just a shame that IMHO both occasions got the better of him - a confidence player who needs to be playing regularly.

Al-Habsi has been an unexpected revelation but I cannot help thinking, how fantastically well suited Feds would be to our current style of play at the back.

Absolutely, the guy was certainly comfortable on the ball and when he needed to his distribution was very good, he had a mistake in him like Al Habsi but he would always pull off some great saves.

I'd have him back if the opportunity was there, he never plays at Bournemouth.

Those last five words would tell everyone bar deluded Reading fans why we should all be praising our God for getting someone to take this third rate 'keeper off our hands.

Like Hahnemann before him, Al Habsi is light years ahead of Skippy.

[MoorgateRoyal]

Maybe so..... just a shame that IMHO both occasions got the better of him - a confidence player who needs to be playing regularly.

Al-Habsi has been an unexpected revelation but I cannot help thinking, how fantastically well suited Feds would be to our current style of play at the back.

Absolutely, the guy was certainly comfortable on the ball and when he needed to his distribution was very good, he had a mistake in him like Al Habsi but he would always pull off some great saves.

I'd have him back if the opportunity was there, he never plays at Bournemouth.

Those last five words would tell everyone bar deluded Reading fans why we should all be praising our God for getting someone to take this third rate 'keeper off our hands.

Like Hahnemann before him, Al Habsi is light years ahead of Skippy.

I don't really get that opinion.

He's a really good shot stopper and would be perfect for our system with his composure on the ball.

I rated Hahnemann very highly when he was here and I like Ali although I still think his distribution needs to improve.

[From Despair To Where?]

Mikkel Andersen is counted by the club as an 'Academy Graduate,' which I believe is because he played a number of times for our Under 18s when he joined

Although, he only featured in the Qualifying Stages of the Champions League, playing one game for Midtjylland last season (a 2-0 win over Gibraltar's Lincoln Red Imps)

If you were to allow those like Andersen who have played in qualifiers, you therefore could include...

Viktor Illugason - Breidablik (featured in one game, a 2-0 win over Rosenborg in 2011)
Ryan Catney - Cliftonville (played in four games, including both legs of a 0-5 aggregate defeat to Celtic in 2013, yet to be on the winning side)
Tom Hateley - Motherwell (played both legs of a 0-5 aggregate defeat to Panathinaikos in 2012, the Well's only ever appearance in the competition)

However this is all irrelevant, as a Royals Academy Graduate did feature in the Champions League Group Stages last season...

Jem Karacan - Galatasaray (his one and only match for Gala, playing the full 90 away to Atletico Madrid in a 0-2 defeat)

With all that in mind, a couple of quiz questions for you...

Who was the first Reading Academy Graduate to feature in the Group Stages of a major European club competition?

Who are the only two Reading Academy Graduates to feature in the knockout rounds of a major European club competition?

Who is the only Reading Academy Graduate to have played at arguably the pinnacle of the sport, the FIFA World Cup?

(By 'major European club competition' I mean Champions League/Europa League, and by 'feature' I mean actually get onto the pitch)

(Also for this post and those questions, I'm classing 'Academy Graduate' as someone who played for our Academy sides and went on to earn a pro contract/squad number at the club - in other words we can't claim people like Charlie Austin or Ji Dong-Won)

I think Bozancic was in the Aussie squad in Brazil.

Johnny Hayes maybe for one of the European ones, he's definitely played in the qualifying rounds for Aberdeen. Gylfi would be an obvious guess for Swansea?

[kwik-silva]

I think Bozancic was in the Aussie squad in Brazil.

He got on the pitch and played pretty well if I remember right

[Saaaaaaaammmmmm]

Who was the first Reading Academy Graduate to feature in the Group Stages of a major European club competition?

Who are the only two Reading Academy Graduates to feature in the knockout rounds of a major European club competition?

Who is the only Reading Academy Graduate to have played at arguably the pinnacle of the sport, the FIFA World Cup?

I think Bozanic was in the Aussie squad in Brazil.

Johnny Hayes maybe for one of the European ones, he's definitely played in the qualifying rounds for Aberdeen. Gylfi would be an obvious guess for Swansea?

Correct on Oliver Bozanic, played for Australia at the 2014 World Cup against Netherlands and Spain

...

Jonny Hayes has been rather unlucky, having played a massive 17 games in the Europa League for Aberdeen and scoring 3 goals

Unfortunately for Jonny, they have all been qualifiers, with Aberdeen falling at the final qualification hurdle in three consecutive seasons now, losing to Real Sociedad, Kairat, and NK Maribor

Hayes played in both legs of all 9 ties over those years except this season's game with Maribor, with him being crucially ruled out of the second leg having scored a late equaliser for the Dons in the home tie

...

The Gylfi Sigurdsson answer is technically correct, however he wasn't at Swansea in 2013/14 when they beat Valencia on the way to the Last 32, eventually losing to Napoli

It was at Spurs where he featured in the knockout stages of the competition, not only in that 13/14 campaign (playing in the Last 16 defeat to Benfica), but most notably in the previous season (2012/13)

He scored in a 3-0 win over Inter Milan in the Last 16 (Spurs eventually went through on away goals), and in the first leg of the Quarter Finals against Basel, before Spurs were knocked out 1-4 on penalties (4-4 aggregate) with Gylfi the only Spurs player to score in the shootout

[From Despair To Where?]

I liked Johnny Hayes, thought he was a more than decent player, but one of the players who really had their chance taken away with promotion in 2006.

[NewCorkSeth]

Didnt one of the South Korean lads play at the WC in 2014?

[SCIAG]

Didnt one of the South Korean lads play at the WC in 2014?

Ji did, but Sam specified that Academy graduates had to sign pro contracts with us. The Koreans couldn't get work permits.