New Reading boss Brendan Rodgers is anxious to try and keep Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt at the club next season.
The Waterford man has been linked with a move away from the Championship side ever since their relegation from The Premier League, and The Royals’ failure to secure a return to England’s top tier in May now leaves more questions over Hunt’s future.
“(Stephen) is a guy who not too many years ago was playing at Brentford, which in respect is lower down in the terms of the league,” Rodgers explained.
“He’s come into Reading, had a few wonderful years and has done really well in the Premier League.
“Once you’ve been in the Premier League and have shown that you can play in there, it can be very difficult to spend your time in the Championship.
“It’s not something new, I think Stephen was looking to go last season but decided to stay right through thinking Reading might go up.
“For a large part of the season, it looked like they would but they didn’t and obviously he has a choice to make.”
Hunt, too, admitted that he has options, saying: “I’m looking to get back into the Premier League and in a World Cup year, it would be vital for me.
“But if I’m at Reading next season, then I’ll be 100 percent committed.”