Paul Ince has made it clear that he will look to sign Terell Thomas on a long-term contract if he lands the Reading job.

The former MK Dons chief was named as Veljko Paunovic's successor earlier in the campaign, tasked with keeping the Royals in the Championship. And, whilst results have been inconsistent, Ince achieved his goal, with the Berkshire outfit finishing four points above the drop zone.

Despite that, there are still doubts about his future, with Ince initially penning a deal that ran until the summer.

So, a decision is expected shortly, and Ince told Berkshire Live that if he does remain in charge, he will look to secure Thomas on a longer contract after being impressed by the defender.

"He's not played many games since January but he was fantastic over the last two games. He's shown he wants it - obviously there are a lot of things he can improve on, like all the players - but I thought he was excellent. If I am here then we'll be having a conversation [about signing him].

"If I'm not, then hopefully someone else will be having a conversation with him."

Thomas' two appearances for Reading came in the past two games.

The verdict

This is nice for Thomas to hear as it shows the work he has put in during training sessions and in recent games hasn't gone unnoticed - and he will now be hoping Ince lands the job!

Whether he would be a good signing is up for debate, although you would say it's harsh to judge him on two games where he has played out of position.

Ultimately though, the main priority for all at the club has to be on naming a permanent manager, which will then allow them to plan for the future.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.