Hunt dissapointed

[Platypuss]

The Sporting Life one is fuller:

HUNT: I WANTED EVERTON MOVE

By Damian Spellman, PA Sport

Stephen Hunt has admitted his disappointment after missing out on a deadline-day move to Everton.

The Reading winger, currently on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, was the subject of a bid from the Merseyside club last night.

However, with the Toffees unable to come up with the �5million up front which would have activated a get-out clause in his contract, the deadline passed without any deal being struck.

Hunt was disappointed the Royals had not been more flexible in return for the service he has given them over the past three years.

He said: "I spoke to the manager (Steve Coppell), the director of football (Nick Hammond), the coaches. They were asking if I wanted to leave, and they knew my stance.

"I haven't been a bad apple in the club over the last two or three years.

"I could have been, but I wasn't. I have been ultra-professional and probably deserve a little bit better from them.

"But then again, I understand where they are coming from. They wanted to keep hold of me. But to further my career, that would have been a good move."

Hunt was not the only Reading player in demand as the summer window close, with striker Kevin Doyle also understood to have attracted further attention from Tottenham as the Dimitar Berbatov saga finally drew to a close.

Doyle, like his international and club team-mate, has not been agitating publicly to leave the Madejski Stadium, and Hunt admitted the pair of them might have got their wish had they been less professional.

He said: "Kevin has acted the same way as me. We have been professional enough.

"At the dinner table today, we had the same conversation with a couple of players who said if they had been a bad apple, then they would have got out.

"Berbatov - I know it is a different scale and a lot of money, but at the same time, it is our careers as well.

"It's frustrating. I am disappointed, but I am ready to go and re-focus on doing what I want to do in my career.

"I suppose you could say I am a little bit wounded and a little bit disappointed, so that will re-focus me into doing well.

"Listen, if a club wanted me that badly, they would have paid the �5million, so I mustn't have been doing that well.

"But at the same time, I have done myself justice in the Premier League when I have played, and I am determined to get back up there, with Reading or without Reading."

[Focher]

if both played well enough last season they would be in the prem with us or someone else. Saying that neither are sulkers and will give thier all for us, thats why Coppell likes Irish players as they don't whinge and get on with the job in hand, happy or unhappy.

[Archie's penalty]

I think the fact that Duff is out injured thus making Hunty pretty much a shoo in (sp) for the left-midfield slot for Ireland helps us.

If he was playing for a really top international side he would need to be in the prem. Same goes for Doyle as well...

[Ian Royal]

"I spoke to the manager (Steve Coppell), the director of football (Nick Hammond), the coaches. They were asking if I wanted to leave, and they knew my stance," explained Hunt.

"I haven't been a bad apple in the club over the last two or three years.

"I could have been, but I wasn't. I have been ultra-professional and probably deserve a little bit better from them.
"But then again, I understand where they are coming from. They wanted to keep hold of me. But to further my career, that would have been a good move."


Can't argue with that. I just hope he gives his all every week for us until we are ready to let him go.

Least we know Hunt was one of the players expressing a wish to leave and that he isn't a 'bad apple'.

Thats the only bit that pisses me off. People who think the world owes them a favour because they've behaved properly. Well you're not behaving properly now and you already earn a fecking mint. TWAT!

Otherwise, fairly reasonable interview, if rather badly timed and ill-thought out. Good player who I'm very glad is still with us.

[Yorkshire Royal]

What a prick. Has he forgotten a) where he has come from and b) isn't actually that good.

As it happens, this year, he has been pretty much our best player following a summer in crossing camp. He should remember that most soccer fans think he is a useless idiot. No Everton fan I know wants him..

[rg6royal]

What a prick. Has he forgotten a) where he has come from and b) isn't actually that good.

As it happens, this year, he has been pretty much our best player following a summer in crossing camp. He should remember that most soccer fans think he is a useless idiot. No Everton fan I know wants him..

He is a quality player. And I just love the way he winds people up.

[Archie's penalty]

"I spoke to the manager (Steve Coppell), the director of football (Nick Hammond), the coaches. They were asking if I wanted to leave, and they knew my stance," explained Hunt.

"I haven't been a bad apple in the club over the last two or three years.

"I could have been, but I wasn't. I have been ultra-professional and probably deserve a little bit better from them.
"But then again, I understand where they are coming from. They wanted to keep hold of me. But to further my career, that would have been a good move."


Can't argue with that. I just hope he gives his all every week for us until we are ready to let him go.

Least we know Hunt was one of the players expressing a wish to leave and that he isn't a 'bad apple'.

Thats the only bit that pisses me off. People who think the world owes them a favour because they've behaved properly. Well you're not behaving properly now and you already earn a fecking mint. TWAT!

Otherwise, fairly reasonable interview, if rather badly timed and ill-thought out. Good player who I'm very glad is still with us.

I agree - what does he expect from the club? 'Well done Steven - go even though we need you.'

[Yorkshire Royal]

He's a stupid long haired rambo wannabe.. Another excuse for a quality player when really all he does is run around with passion and energy... Again his performances so far this year are proving me wrong (see crossing camp comment), but overall he is a joke of a footballer. Better than Andy Hughes though..

What makes me sad is that our joke of a club needs him, so well done Coppell for not giving in to Everton's bullying techniques..

[rg6royal]

He's a stupid long haired rambo wannabe.. Another excuse for a quality player when really all he does is run around with passion and energy... Again his performances so far this year are proving me wrong (see crossing camp comment), but overall he is a joke of a footballer. Better than Andy Hughes though..

What makes me sad is that our joke of a club needs him, so well done Coppell for not giving in to Everton's bullying techniques..

[Thaumagurist*]

"I spoke to the manager (Steve Coppell), the director of football (Nick Hammond), the coaches. They were asking if I wanted to leave, and they knew my stance," explained Hunt.

"I haven't been a bad apple in the club over the last two or three years.

"I could have been, but I wasn't. I have been ultra-professional and probably deserve a little bit better from them.
"But then again, I understand where they are coming from. They wanted to keep hold of me. But to further my career, that would have been a good move."


Can't argue with that. I just hope he gives his all every week for us until we are ready to let him go.

Least we know Hunt was one of the players expressing a wish to leave and that he isn't a 'bad apple'.

Thats the only bit that pisses me off. People who think the world owes them a favour because they've behaved properly. Well you're not behaving properly now and you already earn a fecking mint. TWAT!

Otherwise, fairly reasonable interview, if rather badly timed and ill-thought out. Good player who I'm very glad is still with us.

The other thing that's pissing me off about this whole thing is the fact that Everton did not make an offer. So how can Hunt have a problem with Reading if there was no sodding offer to turn down!!

[winchester_royal]

He's a stupid long haired rambo wannabe.. Another excuse for a quality player when really all he does is run around with passion and energy... Again his performances so far this year are proving me wrong (see crossing camp comment), but overall he is a joke of a footballer. Better than Andy Hughes though..

What makes me sad is that our joke of a club needs him, so well done Coppell for not giving in to Everton's bullying techniques..

'Greed. I'm not happy with what Hunt said, but he has still been a quality player who will be influential in our return to the prem.

[RoyalBlue]

Totally agree with Hunty. To further his career he certainly does need to move. He should of gone to a big club like Everton that are ambitious and are an established premier league club.

Although Coppell is saying there was only and enquiry.

But Hunt has absolutely no grounds whatsoever to start bleating about the club standing in his way. He and his agent happily agreed a fantastic new deal with RFC a little while back, which we are led to believe included a £5M release fee if we were relegated. As it happens, neither Everton nor any other club felt he was worth a £5M bid so he stays where he is, earning a damn good sum of money with RFC.

I'm getting increasingly peed off with professional footballers who, with the assistance of their agents and professional advisers, willingly enter into lucrative contracts with clubs, which they understandably and rightly expect the club to honour in full. Yet, at the same time, they expect to be allowed to ignore the provisions of those very same contracts and just walk away from their club should it suit them.

So, Reading aren't ambitious?

Is that why they turned down a £3.5M bid for a player then?

If they weren't ambitious, I would have thought they would have simply cashed in on a player they plucked from the obscurity of Brentford's reserves for nothing.

They may be ambitious to a degree but they aren't overly ambitious/keen to get back to the PL in a hurry. Just look at Howe's words towards the end of 'A Decade of Dreams'.

Perhaps they felt that the potential backlash from fans, if they sold off yet another star player, would be just too great and would outweigh the value of a few more million in the bank.

[Archie's penalty]

I'm getting increasingly peed off with professional footballers who, with the assistance of their agents and professional advisers, willingly enter into lucrative contracts with clubs, which they understandably and rightly expect the club to honour in full. Yet, at the same time, they expect to be allowed to ignore the provisions of those very same contracts and just walk away from their club should it suit them.

I agree completely. What makes it worse is you have people like Blatter coming out with all that 'modern slave' rubbish.

I also have an issue with the way papers refer to new contracts signed by players. They always say 'will keep x at the club until 2011' when they should say 'might but there's a good chance it won't keep x at the club.'

[RobRoyal]

Oh great.

Here's an idea: why don't the club spend the next 4 months looking out for decent left-wingers, just so we don't sleep-walk into another disaster.

[rg6royal]

He's a stupid long haired rambo wannabe.. Another excuse for a quality player when really all he does is run around with passion and energy... Again his performances so far this year are proving me wrong (see crossing camp comment), but overall he is a joke of a footballer. Better than Andy Hughes though..

What makes me sad is that our joke of a club needs him, so well done Coppell for not giving in to Everton's bullying techniques..

'Greed. I'm not happy with what Hunt said, but he has still been a quality player who will be influential in our return to the prem.

Indeed. Would be sad to see him go if he does In January. But if so then another piece of excellent business by the Club.

[Ian Royal]

"I spoke to the manager (Steve Coppell), the director of football (Nick Hammond), the coaches. They were asking if I wanted to leave, and they knew my stance," explained Hunt.

"I haven't been a bad apple in the club over the last two or three years.

"I could have been, but I wasn't. I have been ultra-professional and probably deserve a little bit better from them.
"But then again, I understand where they are coming from. They wanted to keep hold of me. But to further my career, that would have been a good move."


Can't argue with that. I just hope he gives his all every week for us until we are ready to let him go.

Least we know Hunt was one of the players expressing a wish to leave and that he isn't a 'bad apple'.

Thats the only bit that pisses me off. People who think the world owes them a favour because they've behaved properly. Well you're not behaving properly now and you already earn a fecking mint. TWAT!

Otherwise, fairly reasonable interview, if rather badly timed and ill-thought out. Good player who I'm very glad is still with us.

The other thing that's pissing me off about this whole thing is the fact that Everton did not make an offer. So how can Hunt have a problem with Reading if there was no sodding offer to turn down!!

I imagine the enquiry went something like this.

SC: Hi, Steve speaking
DM: Hello Steve, David Moyes here.
SC: Hello David.
DM: Is Stephen Hunt available for about £3.5M?
SC: No.
CLICK.

Thats not a formal bid in the strict sense of it. But in paper talk and the real world it kind of is a bid.

[Seaside Royal]

Totally agree with Hunty. To further his career he certainly does need to move. He should of gone to a big club like Everton that are ambitious and are an established premier league club.

Although Coppell is saying there was only and enquiry.

But Hunt has absolutely no grounds whatsoever to start bleating about the club standing in his way. He and his agent happily agreed a fantastic new deal with RFC a little while back, which we are led to believe included a £5M release fee if we were relegated. As it happens, neither Everton nor any other club felt he was worth a £5M bid so he stays where he is, earning a damn good sum of money with RFC.

I'm getting increasingly peed off with professional footballers who, with the assistance of their agents and professional advisers, willingly enter into lucrative contracts with clubs, which they understandably and rightly expect the club to honour in full. Yet, at the same time, they expect to be allowed to ignore the provisions of those very same contracts and just walk away from their club should it suit them.

So, Reading aren't ambitious?

Is that why they turned down a £3.5M bid for a player then?

If they weren't ambitious, I would have thought they would have simply cashed in on a player they plucked from the obscurity of Brentford's reserves for nothing.

They may be ambitious to a degree but they aren't overly ambitious/keen to get back to the PL in a hurry. Just look at Howe's words towards the end of 'A Decade of Dreams'.

Perhaps they felt that the potential backlash from fans, if they sold off yet another star player, would be just too great and would outweigh the value of a few more million in the bank.

[Seaside Royal]

Reading seem damed if they and damed if they don't.


The 5 million clause was put in his contract by Reading after meeting his demands when signing a new improved contract last season to protect the club. Yet again sensible business by Reading protecting an asset and showing ambition in not being willing to let a player go at a value they deem unacceptable.

He'll just have to play his socks off and be worth 5 million by December for his wish to come true!

[Yorkshire Royal]

LOL at Reading fans deciding Steven Hunt is a good player based on 4 appearances this year as opposed to 30+ rubbish ones last..

As I said, glad we didnt sell him as he has been good so far.. in the championship, but he needs to remember where he has come from. And he is a joke of a footballer. Rubbish first touch, until recently couldn't cross the ball and has a really, really stupid haircut..

[winchester_royal]

LOL at Reading fans deciding Steven Hunt is a good player based on 4 appearances this year as opposed to 30+ rubbish ones last..

As I said, glad we didnt sell him as he has been good so far.. in the championship, but he needs to remember where he has come from. And he is a joke of a footballer. Rubbish first touch, until recently couldn't cross the ball and has a really, really stupid haircut..

What does his hair cut have to do with anything?