Reading have had their fair share of players over the years that have come through the club's academy system and moved onto greener pastures. 

The Royals are currently sat fifth in the Championship table, and will fancy their chances of winning promotion into the Premier League this term under the management of Veljko Paunovic.

The Reading boss has used a number of players that have come through the academy, with the likes of Michael Olise, Omar Richards and Tom McIntyre being just some of those to catch the eye with strong performances this term.

We take a look at the top-ten best players that Reading FC have produced from their academy over the years. Do you agree with these?

Find out which player is first up at number ten, on the next page....

Karacan signed for Reading in 2003, before penning his first professional contract in July 2007.

The midfielder went on to make over 150 appearances for the Royals, and established himself as a firm fans favourite at the Madejski Stadium in his time with the club.

His work ethic on the pitch didn't go unnoticed, and he chipped in with some important goals for Reading over the years.

Karacan suffered a serious knee injury against Leeds United in the club's promotion-winning season, but played his part for the Royals in the Premier League the following year.

He has since played for the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Millwall and Australian side Central Coast Mariners, but is now playing for League Two side Scunthorpe United.

Richards is a player that looks as though he's destined to go to the very top, especially if the early stages of his career are anything to go by.

The left-back has been hugely impressive since breaking into the Reading first-team from the club's academy setup, and has made 32 appearances in total for the Royals this term.

It doesn't seem as though Richards will remain a Reading player for much longer though, with Sky Sports recently revealing that the 23-year-old is set to sign for German giants Bayern Munich in the summer, when his contract with Reading reaches a conclusion.

He'll be battling it out with Alphonso Davies for the starting spot at left-back in Hans-Dieter Flick's side for the upcoming 2021/22 season.

Hayes didn't make a single first-team appearance for Reading, after coming through the club's academy system.

He left the club in June 2007, after being released from his contract by the Royals, and went on to sign for Leicester City shortly after his release.

He struggled for consistent game time with the Foxes though, and it didn't come as a surprise to see him leave the club just two years later.

After an impressive spell with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Hayes earned a move to Aberdeen. His strong run of form there didn't go unnoticed either, as Scottish giants Celtic agreed a deal to sign the winger in 2017.

He made 68 appearances in total for the Bhoys, and was part of the team that won three Scottish league titles. Hayes returned to Aberdeen in 2020 though, and has made 32 appearances for the club in all competitions this term.

Wickham spent the early stages of his youth career with Reading, before opting to sign for Ipswich Town in 2006.

He went on to break into the Ipswich first-team in 2009, and made 72 appearances in total for the Tractor Boys, before leaving the club in 2011.

Wickham signed for Sunderland for a fee believed to be in the region of £8million whilst the Black Cats were playing their football in the Premier League.

After scoring 15 goals in 91 appearances for Sunderland, he departed in 2015, in favour of a move to Crystal Palace. Wickham is in his sixth year with the club, but has struggled for a consistent run in the starting XI due to injury problems.

He had a spell out on loan with Sheffield Wednesday last season, where he scored two goals in 13 appearances for the Owls.

Pearce is in at number six, with the defender making over 200 appearances in total for the Reading first-team, after coming through the club's academy system.

He played a key role in the club's promotion-winning season in 2012, and was named as the club's Player of the Season in that memorable campaign.

Pearce left Reading in the summer of 2015, as he went on sign for Derby County, after his contract with Reading reached a conclusion at the end of the 2014/15 season.

The defender has since gone on to sign for Millwall, and has made 18 appearances in all competitions for the Lions this term, as they sit 11th in the Championship table.

Olise is next up for Reading, and it'll be interesting to see what the future holds for the Royals midfielder.

The 19-year-old has made 35 appearances for Veljko Paunovic's side this season, and has played a starring role in their bid for promotion into the Premier League this term.

Olise has chipped in with five goals and nine assists in all competitions this term, and will be eager to continue to build on a number of strong performances for the Berkshire-based side.

He has been linked with a move elsewhere though, with the likes Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all believed to be keen on a deal to land his signature in the coming months.

Eberechi Eze is one that some Reading fans might not have even known played for the club's academy earlier in his youth career.

The midfielder only spent a single season with the Royals, and didn't feature for their first-team, after moving to Millwall in 2014.

Eze moved to QPR in 2016 though, and it's safe to say that he's never looked back. The 22-year-old made 112 appearances in total for the Hoops, and his strong run of performances in their first-team saw him earn a move to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2020.

He is now playing regular for Roy Hodgson's side, and scored his first goal for the club against Leeds United. This is a player that Reading fans certainly missed out on seeing, as he's gone on to bigger and better things now.

McCarthy is the first player in the top-three, with the goalkeeper featuring heavily for the Reading first-team.

The shot-stopper produced some memorable displays between the posts over the years for the Royals, with his performance in a goalless draw against Liverpool in April 2013 being one of the standout moments in his time with the club.

McCarthy went on to sign for QPR in the summer of 2014, before joining London rivals Crystal Palace just a year later.

The goalkeeper is now playing his football for Southampton in the Premier League, and he'll be eager to play his part in their bid for survival in the top-flight this term.

Webb is second on the list, with the midfielder starting his career with Reading, before breaking into the first-team in 1980.

He went on to sign for Portsmouth just two years later, where he went on to make a name for himself with Pompey. His strong run of form earned him a move to Nottingham Forest in 1985, before heading to Manchester United in 1989.

Webb spent three seasons with the Red Devils, and was part of the squad that won the FA Cup, Football League Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup.

He returned to Nottingham Forest in 1992. Webb was also capped for England's senior team during his playing career, and is certainly up there as one of Reading's best ever players that they've produced from the academy system.

Gylfi Sigurdsson tops the list as Reading's best player that they've produced from their academy.

The Icelandic international broke into the Reading first-team back in 2008, and went on to make 51 appearances in total for the Berkshire-based side, whilst chipping in with 22 goals and nine assists in his time with the Royals.

His strong run of performances didn't go unnoticed though, as he went on to sign for German side 1899 Hoffenheim. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 though, before heading to Swansea City in 2014.

After three successful years with the Swans, Sigurdsson moved to Goodison Park with Everton, which is where he's still playing his football to this day.