Experienced Town defender Damien Delaney admits he is envious of Reading and their promotion to the Premier League.

The Royals clinched their top-flight return in midweek with a 1-0 home win over lowly Nottingham Forest and Delaney was among an armchair audience of millions who tuned in to view highlights of the Madejski Stadium party.

Delaney, 30, said: “I’ve never had a promotion with any of my clubs. I was watching the interviews with the Reading players in the dressing room after they clinched their promotion and Jobi McAnuff was saying that he had waited so long for that moment.

“I could identify with how he felt. I was sitting there thinking ‘I’ve been waiting just as long’ but fair play to him. To get promotion is just reward for him and hopefully one day — next season would be great — that will be me with Ipswich.”

Should Coventry, as expected, be relegated to English football’s third tier it will leave Ipswich as the longest-serving members of the Championship, a run that started in 2002 after George Burley’s team took the plunge.

Delaney added: “I don’t suppose the fans are happy with that but when you look at what has happened to some other clubs who have been relegated and then gone down to League One, I suppose you have to look at is a ‘glass half full’ situation, although we all know where we would like to be ideally.

“It’s not panned out that way for the last how many seasons. I keep wanting to see us in the top half of the table. When I’m sitting at home watching Sky Sports News on the telly and that table keeps flashing up, it grates that we’re still in the bottom half.

“Yes, I agree there has been progress in recent months but unfortunately, because of too many draws, we haven’t gone as high as I would have liked.”

Photo: Action Images

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

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