Reading FC eye ex-Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United boss to replace Noel Hunt | OneFootball

The Royals sacked Hunt following their 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers at the weekend.

Richardson is in the frame for the vacant managerial role at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, as per journalist Pete O'Rourke via X.

The Royals parted company with Hunt on Sunday after their draw at home against Doncaster Rovers this weekend left them 19th in the League One table and just two points clear of the relegation zone.

Richardson has previously been in charge of three EFL clubs during his managerial career - Accrington Stanley, Wigan and Rotherham - but he has been out of work since he was sacked by the Millers in April 2024.

There was plenty of optimism at Reading after Rob Couhig's takeover of the club was completed in the summer, but after a slow start to the 2025/26 campaign, they will need to pick up some momentum quickly under a new boss if they are going to make anything of this season.

Richardson has experience of success in the third tier from his time at Wigan, so if he is brought in to replace Hunt, Reading supporters will hope the club can climb the table under his management.

Richardson has League One success on his CV

Richardson was sacked from his previous role at Rotherham following a difficult four-month spell that saw him win just two of his 24 games in charge of the Championship club.

However, Reading were no doubt looking at his achievements as Wigan Athletic boss when they shortlisted him for the vacant managerial role in Berkshire.

The 45-year-old navigated the Latics through a difficult period in the club's history, helping them avoid relegation to League Two by one point during the 2020/21 season.

The following season, Richardson led Wigan to promotion as champions, accumulating 92 points over the course of the campaign and being named Manager of the Season in the division as a result.

There are similarities that can be drawn between the job Richardson did at Wigan and the current situation at Reading. The Royals have just come through a difficult period in their history, they are currently struggling in League One, and they have ambitions of mounting a promotion push in the next year or two.

Richardson also has experience of winning promotion to the Championship as assistant manager to Paul Cook at both Portsmouth and Wigan, so he definitely knows what it takes to reach the second tier.

Richardson is yet to prove himself in the Championship

Richardson helped Paul Cook keep Wigan in the Championship for two seasons as assistant manager between 2018 and 2020, but he is yet to experience success as a number one in the second tier.

He was sacked by Wigan in November 2022, just months after he had lifted the League One title, after the Latics fell into the relegation zone under his stewardship.

His spell in charge of Rotherham in the Championship was just as difficult, as he only lasted a few months in that role as well.

As Reading search for a new manager, the short to medium term objective in RG2 is to return to the Championship, so they will likely primarily focus on Richardson's League One record as they consider him for the role.