READING FC loan signing Jeff Hendrick says he is motivated to hit the ground running after receiving a positive reception from the club’s supporters.
The Irishman started the Royals’ 1-1 draw against West Ham on Saturday, showing his potential at the heart of midfield.
Hendrick made way for Dejan Tetek just past the hour mark.
Of his welcome, he said: “It’s nice to get that warm welcome but I have to pay [the fans] back by putting performances in on the pitch and giving everything to the team.
“The club’s in maybe a bit of a sticky situation with the embargo, but for me it was good to come in and help the club in whatever way I can.
“The main thing is to get as much game time as possible throughout the whole season and help the club.”
After playing and scoring in Tuesday’s friendly against Maidenhead, Hendrick was pleased to get more minutes under his belt, insisting he could have stayed on the pitch for longer.
He added that the final two pre-season matches will offer valuable opportunities to build up match sharpness.
Hendrick has spent the past six seasons in the Premier League, enjoying spells at Burnley and Newcastle.
He struggled for game time during the 2021-22 season after the Magpies invested heavily resulting in Hendrick falling down the pecking order.
The central midfielder assessed his options and was eager to join Reading once the opportunity materialised.
“I went back up to Newcastle and had three days, but I didn’t have long off as I was with Ireland up until June 18,” Hendrick explained.
“I had to give the body a bit of a rest but then also in the back of my mind stay ready for wherever I was going to go.”
“Once the deal was done, I was excited to come down, have a look around the training ground, meet the lads and then get straight into training and games.”
Hendrick was full of praise for the club’s training facilities at Bearwood, saying: “It’s lovely, there’s worse places to be. It makes it easy to come in in the mornings.
“The main thing is we still have to get out on the pitch and put the hard work in and get your body right.”
Looking ahead to the season, Hendrick bears no bones about the club’s primary aim – to stay in the division.
However, the versatile midfielder was also hesitant to place restrictions on what the club could achieve.
“I’m only in the door, but the main thing for any team is to stay in the league,” he explained.
“Then, as you’re picking up points, to go from strength to strength to see how high you can get up the table and see where that leaves you at the end of the season.
“The main thing is to get players through the door, get a good group together and challenge.
“In this league, we all know it’s difficult with how quickly the games come around, but we’ve got to be ready for that and start getting results.”
