Paul Ince sacked as manager of Championship strugglers Reading

Paul Ince has been sacked as Reading manager after a dismal run of results that has left the club fighting for Sky Bet Championship survival.

Former Royals striker Noel Hunt has been placed in charge until the end of the campaign following Ince’s dismissal, which comes on the back of eight matches without a win and with the club sitting 22nd in the standings.

A statement on Tuesday morning read: “Reading Football Club can confirm that the contract of first-team manager Paul Ince has been terminated with immediate effect. Assistant manager Alex Rae has also departed the club.

“Our Under-21s manager and former Royals striker, Noel Hunt, has been installed as interim first-team manager until the end of the season.”

Director of Player Development, Eddie Niedzwiecki, will be his Assistant Manager accompanied by First Team Coach James Oliver-Pearce.

Head of Football Operations, Mark Bowen, said: “I would like to thank Paul and Alex for their efforts throughout what has admittedly been a frustrating and exceptionally challenging season so far. We would like to wish them well in their future endeavours.

“The board will work diligently to identify the manager who is the best fit for this football club going forward - a candidate capable of driving it towards a healthier, brighter future.

“However, for the next five games, our only focus is on doing everything we can to survive this season. Put simply, that means everyone – from myself, to the staff, to the supporters - lending all their support to Noel, Eddie, James and the first team players as we go into five crucially important games at the end of our 2022-23 campaign.”