Former Liverpool midfielder Paul Ince has been sacked by Reading after a string of poor results, as confirmed on Reading’s official Twitter page.

Ince was appointed as Reading manager in February 2022. In the 2021/22 season, he guided the Royals to safety – this season, however, he looked unable to repeat the feat. Currently, Reading are 22nd in the table, just a single point inside the relegation zone – but they also haven’t won a game since February.

In their last Championship league game, Reading were beaten by Preston North End after a late winner – apparently, this was enough to convince the Royals hierarchy to give Ince the boot.

The 55-year-old was not helped by the six-point deduction penalty that Reading received seven days ago. While survival is still in their hands, without the deduction, the Royals would currently be 18th – five points outside of the drop zone.

Ince played for Liverpool between the years of 1997 and 1999, where he scored 14 goals in 65 league appearances. Outside of Anfield, the Ilford-born midfielder also played for Manchester United, West Ham United and Middlesbrough over the course of his impressive career.

While the Reading job was not Ince’s first managerial role, it was his first in a considerable amount of time. Before he took the job at the Royals, the last time he had been a manager at any club was with Blackpool, all the way back in 2014. Previously, he has also managed teams such as MK Dons, Blackburn Rovers and Notts County.