'It was time to move on' Portsmouth defender on 'frustrating' end to Reading spell

Portsmouth defender Tom McIntyre felt January was the 'time to move on' after admitting that he endured a 'frustrating' end to his time with Reading.

McIntyre, born and raised in the town, rose through the youth ranks before making over 100 appearances for his boyhood club.

A bit-part player during the reign of Ruben Selles, the 25-year-old played just 10 League One matches last season before sealing a £75,000 move to champions-elect Portsmouth.

Sent off and suffering injury on debut, the defender was a regular back at the SCL Stadium in the second half of the season, with the Royals overturning a 10-point deficit to comfortably stay in the third tier.

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Heading into his first full season at Fratton Park, and looking to prove his worth in the Championship, McIntyre spoke to BBC Radio Berkshire about his exit from Berkshire.

"I wasn’t playing at Reading, and I was frustrated at that because I felt like I should have been," he told former club captain Ady Williams. "You always have to back yourself and I backed myself that I should have been playing.

"I picked up an injury, having not been playing for a few weeks, and there were a few things that went on that contributed to the injury and it was one of those things where I was frustrated, and this opportunity came up to go to Portsmouth. They were doing really well, and I thought my chances of playing at Reading for the next half of the season were pretty slim with what was going on.

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"It was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, to be honest. I loved playing for Reading, and it was an honour but at the same time does someone go their whole career with the same club? Not generally so it was time to move on."

Pompey are back in the second tier for the first time in over a decade, joined by Derby County and Oxford United in the Championship.