LUC OUT! I’M COMING FOR YOU
Portugeezer Joao wants the Golden Boot and has top-two strikers in his sights
LUCAS JOAO reckons the Championship Golden Boot is no two-horse race.
Blackburn’s Adam Armstrong has 13 league goals and Ivan Toney of Brentford has 12 but Joao is right behind with nine and a dozen in all competitions.
The Portuguese scored for the third game running with Reading getting back on track with a first win in six – and has eyes on a prize.
“I can see there are two others players with over 12 goals who are doing well,” said Joao. “It’s such a good feeling to be next to them. I’d like to have 12 goals in the league. Let’s see how we will do for the rest of the season.
“It’s part of my job, scoring goals. At the end if I can have an award it would be a great season for me.”
Joao joined Reading last year after indifferent spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn. But he feels a different player now – thanks in part to extra fitness sessions in the summer.
He said: “This is the biggest thing I’ve worked on. I started before the pre-season on holiday in Spain. I took one of my friends who is a fitness coach.
“I did work on my legs, that was the problem last season, I needed to look after my hamstring and upper body too. We solved the problem.
“I’m now 27 and more mature. These kind of things make all the difference. When I first came to Sheffield Wednesday I was young. Now I can see things differently.
“At Sheffield Wednesday I was playing but not with the responsibility I have here. I’m a better player.”
Ovie Ejaria’s deflected shot gave Reading a 54th-minute lead before Nahki Wells bundled in at close range on 73 minutes for Bristol City.
Yakou Meite burst through three minutes later to put Veljko Paunovic’s side in front before setting up Joao in injury time to put to an end a bitterly disappointing few weeks.
Joao said: “After a hard month, what a feeling this was. But we always trusted our manager and each other. We have talent and now need to prove that.”
City manager Dean Holden is demanding a response at QPR tomorrow. He said: “It’s a huge game and we can’t panic or feel sorry for ourselves.”