Friday 11 December 2015 09:08, UK
Brian McDermott is close to a return to Reading as manager, according to Sky sources.
It is understood the 54-year-old is in talks to succeed Steve Clarke, who was sacked by the club last week, and could complete a reunion with the club he was sacked by three years ago.
He is believed to be one of three candidates, along with two foreign managers, although no appointment is expected before Saturday's trip to Preston.
It was the former Reading owner Anton Zingarevich who dismissed McDermott in March 2013, despite having taken the club to the Premier League and named Manager of the Month just a month prior.
A Thai consortium completed a takeover of the Berkshire club in September last year after Zingarevich left the board, and John Madjeski has remained as chairman ever since McDermott took over as Reading boss in 2009.
Since he was dismissed, McDermott spent just under a year as head coach of Leeds United, becoming the first managerial sacking by owner Massimo Cellino when he took over the club in early 2014.
In October last year, McDermott was appointed as a scout for Arsenal on a contract until the end of the season but he is now set to leave the Gunners before that ends and take over from Clarke.
Clarke was given permission to hold talks with Fulham last month over their vacant head coach role but eventually turned the west London club down, and was later dismissed by Reading due to a poor run of results.
