Andy Carroll reveals Reading FC player who takes the brunt of the Royals' dressing room banter | OneFootball

Reading striker Andy Carroll has named Tom McIntyre as the player who takes a lot of the banter in the Royals' dressing room, speaking in an interview with Sky Bet.

The Royals will need to have an excellent team spirit in the coming weeks considering they are in a relegation scrap at this stage, with the supporters' discontent clear in recent months being clear to see on social media.

Failing to make a positive start to 2023, they have slid down the table and will need to pick up a sufficient number of points between now and the end of the season in their quest to secure their safety.

Although they have been thrown back into relegation danger due to their points deduction, which came earlier this week following weeks of uncertainty, the players and the coaching staff aren't blameless either, with poor displays leading to their decline.

However, their strong start to the campaign has at least given them a chance of securing survival and McIntyre could have a key role to play behind the scenes.

What did Andy Carroll say about Tom McIntyre?

The Royals' academy graduate, who grew up as a supporter of the club, has been the subject of criticism from some supporters for plenty of his performances this season.

Some, however, would argue that he's had a reasonably respectable season. Unfortunately for him, he is currently out injured but could still be an important figure in the dressing room as the campaign draws to a close.

Speaking about the former Scotland youth international, teammate Carroll said: "There’s a lot of characters in the dressing room – Tom McIntyre is probably at the brunt of every joke though.

"There are some quiet contenders – Jeff Hendrick always comes up with some great lines."

Just how important could Tom McIntyre be?

Not only does the defender seem to have a good sense of humour, but he also knows what it's like to be a supporter of the club and the likes of him and Tom Holmes can communicate that to their teammates in the coming weeks.

McIntyre will feel as though he has a special responsibility to guide the Royals to safety because he's a supporter and has been at the Select Car Leasing Stadium for a number of years now.

It's just a shame for the Royals that he isn't available because he can operate in a number of positions, including in central defence, at left wing-back and in midfield.

Nesta Guinness-Walker is a better option than him on the left, but he could have been useful in midfield in the absence of the suspended Mamadou Loum.

The Royals are also short of centre-backs with Sam Hutchinson and Liam Moore out of action, so the defender will be extremely frustrated that he can't influence matters on the field.