Reading has had numerous cult heroes over the years, but few have reached the heights of Adam Le Fondre after his stellar tenure with the Royals.
Le Fondre was crucial for Reading in the early 2010s, assisting the Royals’ elevation to the Premier League for the 2012/13 season.
The striker joined Rotherham United from League Two in the summer of 2012 to make his impact in the Championship.
Brian McDermott’s side were dejected heading into the 2011/12 season after losing in the play-off final to Swansea City in 2010/11 and preparing the departure of 20-goal striker Shane Long.
The Royals required some regeneration. This is where Le Fondre comes in.
The then-26-year-old signed from the Millers for an estimated £350,000, intending to match Long’s influence.
Le Fondre had already scored four goals in four games for Rotherham at the start of the season, providing the Royals with a preview of what to expect.
In his first season, the striker was primarily a bench player rather than a starter.
However, 12 goals and the Championship title were enough for McDermott, as Le Fondre’s contribution aided the Royals’ promotion to the first level after four seasons.
This season’s defining moment came when the Royals faced promotion rivals Southampton in
A grudge match in April.
The score was 1-1 when Le Fondre came off the bench.
That evening at St Mary’s, the striker cemented his place in Royals history.
Within 10 minutes, he had put the visitors ahead with a fantastic strike into the top corner, and he added another in injury time to seal a 3-1 victory at such a key point in the season.
Reading went three points clear of Saints at the top of the table, effectively securing promotion to the first division.
Le Fondre thrived on the Premier League stage.
The Premier League drew the best out of the quick striker.
A goal on the first day against Stoke City converted into 12 for the season. Not bad for a striker who played in the fourth tier not long ago.
In January 2013, he won the Premier League Player of the Month title, becoming the only Royals player to do so in club history. His replacement heroics came in handy for Reading this season, as he scored eight goals from the bench.
Despite the demotion, Le Fondre’s efforts will not be forgotten.
Le Fondre wished he had stayed longer with the Royals.
Following the Royals’ exit from the Premier League, Le Fondre maintained his form, scoring 15 goals in the 2013/14 season as the Royals narrowly missed out on the play-offs.
Le Fondre’s all-time career statistics at Reading according to Transfermarkt
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
2013/14
40
15
2
2012/13
39
14
2
2011/12
34
12
4
However, when Reading’s financial problems worsened in the summer of 2014, the club was obliged to sell their talisman in order to survive. He joined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Cardiff City for a reported £2.5 million.
Now 37, Le Fondre talks with the I Had Trials Once podcast on his time at the Madejski Stadium.
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