NEW KEEPER JOE: ‘ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE THIS SEASON’
NEW Reading FC goalkeeper Joe Lumley says “anything is possible” for the Royals ahead of the new season.
The 27-year-old joined earlier this month on a season-long loan from Championship rivals, Middlesbrough.
After making 39 appearances for Boro last year, keeping 14 clean sheets, Lumley was made surplus to requirements but jumped at the opportunity to head to Berkshire.
He said: “I went on holiday straight away after Boro didn’t get into the playoffs and then a few days later I found out Reading was on the cards and was delighted about it.
“I snapped at the chance to come here. To be wanted is a big thing in football.
“The manager and Tony Warner have been brilliant.
“They work you hard, praise you when you need to be praised and give you a dig when you need to have a dig, and that’s exactly how I think it should be.
“It’s only been a few days but you can tell straight away that they are getting the lads working as hard as they can and you can’t really ask for anything more.”
Lumley also said he has been impressed with Luke Southwood and Jökull Andrésson in the first few days of pre-season training.
“I didn’t know about Jokull before arriving but he is a very good goalie. He’s big, he’s young and you can tell he is going to do well in the game, he makes some big saves.
“Lukey I played against him twice last year and obviously in training you see things you don’t see in the game.
“I always thought he was great but now I think he is a top goalie and he is only young.”
The former QPR academy graduate believes anything is possible this season if the club can get a few more players through the door.
“Anything is possible this season. “The lads are great, they are fit so why not aim for promotion, I think every team in the Championship is doing that.
“We still haven’t got a massive squad and we are bringing in players but lads will fit in straight away, as I have here, and that’s a big thing.
“We will do our absolute best every single game.”
Fans from last year may remember Lumley almost scoring a last minute header for Boro when they visited the Select Car Leasing stadium.
He joked: “I wasn’t gonna mention it but I should’ve scored in the away game.
“I’m glad I didn’t now otherwise people would’ve been onto me.”
So if the Royals are short on strikers throughout the season, they can call on him.
Lumley added: “I’ll go up top, I’ll play anywhere.”