Opinion: Reading FC should turn to 33-year-old free agent to help bolster their leaky defence for remainder of 2021-22 season

The race for Championship survival this season looks like – barring any strange pattern of results – it will be contested between four teams, with the one outfit looking over their shoulders right now being Reading.

The Royals would have looked a lot safer if it wasn’t for a six-point deduction back in November for a breach of financial rules, and around that time a dreadful run of form started which saw the Berkshire side go 11 league matches without a win.

Ironicially it was Veljko Paunovic’s final game in charge where Reading snapped that winless run against Preston North End – since then Paul Ince was surprisingly named as interim manager and he won his first match against Birmingham City.

However defeats have followed – away at Blackpool and then at home to Millwall – and it’s perhaps reinforced their desperate need to add a body or two more in the free agents market.

Reading’s squad depth isn’t amazing, especially in defence, and with the amount of goals they’ve leaked this season then they could really do with exploring what defenders are out there for the final few months of the season.

Even though Scott Dann has recently returned to action, which has given Ince some more options to choose from, he could potentially switch to a back three or five to try and shore up defensively even more, and in that case a new defender would definitely be needed.

Ince has already stated that the club could look to add a free agent – but only if someone jumps out at them – and one player who has top flight experience and is available is Winston Reid.

The former West Ham United man could be the ideal addition for at least the final two months of the season, but only providing he is match-fit of course.

The New Zealand