Sports

Reading skipper continues road to first-team return with an hour at Sunderland

Reading captain Andy Yiadom made another big step towards his first-team return after navigating 63 minutes unscathed against Sunderland Under-21s. The 33-year-old has not featured since April 2024 but has now made cameos in the last two PL2 matches for the youth team. Also back in full training with Noel Hunt's side, there is continued hope that the experienced full-back will be back involved in League One over the coming weeks.

The 33-year-old has not featured since April 2024 but has now made cameos in the last two PL2 matches for the youth team. Also back in full training with Noel Hunt's side, there is continued hope that the experienced full-back will be back involved in League One over the coming weeks. Not the only first-team regular involved in the 2-1 victory on Wearside, Adrian Akande found the net- after Jeremiah Okine-Peters opened the scoring.

January recruit Billy Bodin, defender Kelvin Abrefa and centre-back Louie Holzman all started for Peter Scott's side, getting minutes in the legs ahead of Saturday's League One meeting with leaders Birmingham City. Graeme Murty's side had knocked Hunt's Under-21s out of the PL2 play-offs at the semi-final stage last season in front of nearly 3,000 supporters at the SCL Stadium. This time around, and unsurprisingly with so much movement, the side are not challenging as high up in the table, sitting 19th out of 26.

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