“I DEFINITELY think there’s a good chance to do something special this season.”
That was the message from deadline day signing Lewis Grabban after he completed his loan move to Reading from Bournemouth.
Grabban, 29, arrives from the south coast until the end of the season with good pedigree of success in the Championship.
The striker netted 22 goals in his debut campaign in the second flight during his first spell with the Cherries in 2013-14 and he achieved promotion to the Premier League the following season by winning the play-offs with Norwich City.
Since then Grabban has spent his last two and a half years playing Premier League football, but after falling down the pecking order at Bournemouth, he says he knew the time had come to move elsewhere.
“From a while ago I was always looking to try and get out and play some football,” said the striker.
“As a footballer you want to be playing and progressing in your career, you don’t want to be standing still.
“That was a massive factor for me to try and go somewhere that I can try and play football again.
“If you’re blunt you would just say that the manager fancied other players over me. That’s it.
“Sometimes that happens and there’s not much you can do, you have to just try and seek football elsewhere and that’s what’s happened here.”
He added: “Finalising it was very last minute.
“It was going back and forth a bit for a few days with my representatives and it was a bit rushed but we still got it completed with about an hour or so to spare.
“Throughout the window there’s been bits and bobs from Reading but like most teams they leave it late, so we got it done at the latest point possible.
“At this moment in time it’s just a loan, but you never know what the future holds.”
Grabban, who still has two years left on his contract at Bournemouth, is a familiar face to one man in the Reading squad.
Yann Kermorgant was a regular strike partner for Grabban during the second half of the 2013-14 campaign and the new signing is looking forward to linking up with the Frenchman again and pushing for promotion together.
“If I didn’t think there was a chance of promotion then I wouldn’t have come here,” he said.
“I definitely think that there’s a good chance to do something special this season.
“I played with Yann before a little bit at Bournemouth and it was good.
“We had a good understanding so hopefully we can recreate some of that past stuff and create something new as well.”
And Grabban revealed that he had contact with one former Royals hero and Cherries team-mate after the move was confirmed.
“Adam Federici sent me a message,” he said.
“He just wished me well. Obviously he’s very fond of the club and he said to try and get them promoted!”
Grabban is in line to make his debut against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday.
