Paddy: I stayed because I love United’s vision
Reading’s Somerset cheer
Paddy Reading says Ayr United’s vision for success sold him on a new Somerset deal.
The full back – who missed just one Championship game last season – has inked a two-year extension at Tryfield Place.
And he admits the turnaround in the club convinced him his long term future lay with the Honest Men.
Reading, 22, told the Post: “I think if you’d asked a lot of the boys around Christmas time whether they’d have wanted to stay then the answer would have been no.
“But since the gaffer [Lee Bullen] has come in, things have been night and day.
“He’s made a huge difference and although we always had a tight knit dressing room before, we knew in ourselves the performances weren’t there.
“So you can see the impact he’s had and I really think we can kick on now.
“Both he and Graeme Mathie were really clear with me about where they see the club going – and it’s exciting.
“The mood around the place is great just now and everyone feels positive about the future.
“You want to stay and be part of that if you can and you see with the number of other lads staying that they feel the same.”
United have sought to retain the core of last season’s squad and Reading insists that despite their brush with relegation, that is no bad thing.
He explained: “In the two seasons I’ve been here, I think we’ve had some right good players in both squads.
“But we’ve never had a chance at consistency because each summer there’s been a huge change in the dressing room.
“The most difficult thing is getting a new team to gel, so I think it’s really positive that we’re keeping the group together as much as we can.
“I was lucky enough to have my most consistent season just there and I feel like it will benefit me to stay and keep that momentum going.
“The only game I missed was the first of the season up at Inverness – and that’s because I was a close contact of someone with Covid – so hopefully I can keep that record going.”
Reading also believes that Ayr will now be looking to push on after their scrape with the relegation play-offs – and make a push at the other end of the table.
He added: “I’m not staying here to be at the bottom of the table and the same goes for the other lads.
“We definitely have to be looking up and targeting the top half of the table.
“If we can get off to a good start then there’s no reason why we can’t achieve that.”