Rumoured Reading FC managerial candidate Chris Wilder has spoken on his troubled spell at Watford ahead of his next managerial venture.
The former Sheffield United boss is looking for his next job after his 11 game stint with the Hornets and is currently the bookies favourite to take over at the Select Car Leasing Stadium
“I’m having a week off now, and although this has been a challenging last 12 months, it’s been one that I can massively reflect upon first and foremost,” said Wilder
“Then I’ll go again. My hunger, desire and work ethic hasn’t changed.
“It was there all the time I was at Watford. I slept at night knowing I put every ounce I had into it.
“Whatever has happened in this last year will stand me in good stead and I still want to manage at the top end of English football. My passion for that is still there.
Despite having a tough spell with Watford, Wilder remains adamant that his passion for the game still remains ahead of his next challenge in management.
The Hornets, who had three managers throughout the 2022/23 Championship campaign, had a troubled second-half of the season and finished in 11th.
He continued: ““If you’re so bruised and battered that you lose your appetite, and instead of getting into work at 7.30 you’re getting in at 9, and you find yourself taking shortcuts.
“If I ever get to that stage then I’ll know that’ll be time to come out of it.
“If I got to that stage then I wouldn’t be doing justice to myself or the club I was working for.
“But I don’t have any of those feelings at all. I’m ready and raring to go back in.
“I know the type of club I need to work with and be aligned to, and this experience has given me a good insight into a lot of things.
“I never look back at any experience and see it as a bad experience. I just see things I can learn from so I can try to be better.”
Reading will be playing in the third tier for the first time since 2001/02 and are on the lookout for a new first-team manager after under 23s boss Noel Hunt took over from Paul Ince for the final five games of the season.
However, the Royals suffered relegation after finishing in 22nd position in a campaign that saw them deducted six points by the EFL for the second consecutive season.
