Veljko Paunovic is trying to bring the good times back to Reading, with the club wanting a return to the Premier League after an eight-year absence.

The Royals have spent some big money in recent years to try and propel themselves up into the top flight once again, with the likes of Lucas Joao and George Puscas arriving for substantial fees.

But one of the most important aspects of the whole club is their academy, which has produced some really talented players over the years.

The likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Hal Robson-Kanu, Shane Long and Michael Hector have all come through the system in the 21st century and in the current squad you have Michael Olise as the stand-out graduate, who could be set for a big move this summer.

There's a new crop of stars waiting in the wings though to be given a chance - let's look at two of them who could be exposed to senior football next season.

Ethan Bristow

Omar Richards may be leaving for pastures new this summer - specifically the European champions Bayern Munich - but Reading may already have a ready-made replacement in their development squad.

Bristow has played 12 Premier League 2 games this season, scoring twice and has already made his first-team breakthrough, playing all 90 minutes in three cup ties this campaign.

The 19-year-old has also been on the bench five times in the Championship this season and he will surely get a promotion full-time to the senior setup next season once Richards has departed for Germany.

 

 

 

 

Jayden Onen

We could have gone with Dejan Tetek here but he's more exposed to the Reading fans having played four times in the Championship this season.

Onen though has been starring in the under-23 squad in the Premier League 2 competition, scoring six times in 16 outings and he can play in a variety of attacking positions, so he could provide some really useful versatility for Paunovic.

The 20-year-old passed through the academies of Arsenal, Brighton and Crystal Palace earlier in his career and he may now be settling at Reading, where he made his senior debut in the Championship against Norwich in December and he will be looking for more opportunities next season.