Reading FC will always regret £1.2 million Coventry deal - Royals didn’t see the same Sky Blues cult hero | OneFootball

Marc McNulty set League Two alight at Coventry City, but his spell at Reading was a major disappointment

Marc McNulty's time at Reading was rocky to say the least.

The Scottish frontman signed for the Royals off the back of one of the more impressive League Two attacking stints in recent history, whilst at Coventry City, netting 25 and adding another nine assists in just league action, as the Sky Blues were promoted through the play-offs in May 2018.

Reading and Paul Clement were ready to test the then-25-year-old at Championship level, and bought him for an undisclosed fee, which was revealed to be around £1.2 million.

But a mixture of off-field drama and on-field disappointment meant that his four-year spell there saw him play just 17 times, 15 of which came in the opening four months of his contract, and leaving with more bad than good to say about the club.

McNulty was "delighted" to depart Reading in the summer of 2022, and, likely, Royals fans weren't too fussed to see the back of him either.

Marc NcNulty never lived up to Coventry expectations at Reading

Marc McNulty impressed during his time at Livingston and was a serviceable frontman for both Sheffield United and Portsmouth, but it was at Coventry City where he exploded in front of goal.

McNulty's sole season as a Sky Blue saw him contribute to 45% of the side's 64 league goals, whilst also scoring two and assisting three during the play-off run, which Coventry went on to win.

It was no surprise that Championship sides were in for him, as he ended his time at the CBS Arena with 39 goal contributions in just 52 games.

Reading ended up putting in four bids for McNulty during the summer of 2022, and it was fourth time lucky in terms of getting him to the club. Unfortunately, though, his time at the Madejski Stadium was anything but lucky.

McNulty struggled to get in the side initially, starting just four of his 13 Championship games at the club, before being left out for eight games between December and January and subsequently sent out on loan to Hibernian for the latter half of the season, where he netted eight and assisted five in 17 games.

More loan spells followed, as the Scotsman played just two more times for Reading in EFL Cup matches during the 2020/21 season. Most of these came in Scotland with Hibs again and Dundee United, where he spent two seasons, but he did spend half of the 2019/20 campaign with Sunderland in League One.

In the end, McNulty's contract was allowed to expire, with the £1.2 million star scoring just one and adding a single assist in his 17 games at Reading.

Marc McNulty didn't enjoy life at Reading - He said it was "not a nice place"

It was clear that Marc McNulty didn't make many friends during his time in Berkshire, and the Scotsman was rather outspoken during the back end of his time at the club.

He told the Courier in January 2022, five months before his contract was up, "I'm just glad it's going to be over, and I don't have to go back down there. I would probably be happier to be unemployed than go through that again.

"It's not how you should run football clubs or deal with players who show you respect. It's not a nice place, and you can see that with results."

Reading's ownership over the past half-decade or so has been a well-documented story, and plenty outside the club have blasted Dai Yongge in the past, but for McNulty to do so whilst technically still contracted to the club (albeit with no appearances in nearly two years) isn't something you usually see.

Reading will always be left to regret pushing to sign him in 2018 due to his lack of impact on the pitch, but McNulty himself will regret going there too, as it truly derailed his progress after an incredible season at Coventry City.