Reading boss Noel Hunt is looking forward to seeing former teammate, and Player of the Season winner, Josh Laurent as he returns with Burnley in the FA Cup tomorrow.

The 29-year-old made nearly 90 appearances for Reading between 2020 and 2022, winning Player of the Season in his debut campaign as the Royals finished seventh in the Championship.

For 2021/22, his net-bursting strike against Blackburn Rovers won Goal of the Season as Paul Ince's men rallied to survive in the Championship with one match remaining.

Moving on to join Stoke City, Laurent remained popular with supporters and spent a long time applauding the travelling fans at the Bet365 Stadium in January 2023 after the Potters hammered Reading 4-0.

Returning to the SCL Stadium for the first time since his exit, having been injured for Stoke's visit in 2022, he is already a regular with new club Burnley as the Clarets sit second in the Championship.

For Hunt, however, his connection goes back further as the pair played for Wigan Athletic in the 2017/18 campaign.

"I played with Josh away from here- at Wigan," he said. "He’s a great kid. I got a phone call about him before he came here for a character reference. He’s a great kid, a great football player with loads of energy. He’s had a great career and he’s doing great."

With no replays, a winner- and therefore an entrant to round four- must be decided on the day.