Coppell: i'm staying put

Reading boss Steve Coppell has moved to reject statements that he may be interested in leaving the club in the near future. The Reading boss had been repeatedly linked with the England and Newcastle job.

He told the club's official website: "If I can clear this up, I did an interview with Henry Winter, who I respect as being a top writer.

"It wasn't just a five-minute interview, it was a 30 or 40-minute chat. We were talking about the club etc and towards the end he said 'what next?', referring to the future.

"I said that I've been working for six or seven years now and as a general comment I said I'm probably due a break.

"I firmly believe my longevity as a manager has come because every so often I've had a break to recharge the batteries. It's given me the opportunity to see others work and different ways of doing things.

"I firmly believe it helps you become a better manager or coach in the long term. Recharging is important because the job now is a year-round grind.

"It's a demanding job, everyone appreciates that.

"I have a contract here, but inevitably my time will come to an end, whether Reading get rid of me or I say I need a break. I was referring to the future, not next week or next month or whatever.

"A week is a long time in football. If I'm not getting results, I fully expect to be removed. If I am getting results, then I fully expect to stay here for an awful long time."