'We know the magnitude' of Barnsley game - Hunt

Reading boss Noel Hunt has said his players "know the magnitude" of Saturday's game against Barnsley and what is at stake for the club.

The Royals sit seventh going into the last regular game of the League One season, level on points with Leyton Orient who occupy the final play-off spot.

Hunt's side need to better Orient's result on Saturday at Huddersfield to jump into sixth and have a chance at winning promotion through the play-off route.

"On paper you would say it's the biggest game of my managerial career," Hunt told BBC Radio Berkshire.

"That's because we know what can happen If things go our way, but I'm going to treat it as another game that we really want to win.

"We know the magnitude off the back of the result, we can only control what we can and we have to keep the focus on just winning.

"Orient are in the driving seat but we have to go out there and get three points and what will be, will be, they have a big goal difference and we have to better their result."

However It is a tall task for Hunt's side with in-form Orient facing a Terriers team who have nothing to play for and have lost each of their last five games.

Hunt was appointed head coach in December after Ruben Selles departed the club for Hull City.

Reading were sixth in the table when Hunt took over and he has kept them within touching distance of being able to achieve a dream and win promotion, despite all their off-pitch struggles.

The club are still waiting for confirmation of a takeover, with the latest development being that terms of a sale have been agreed.

Hunt was previously assistant and caretaker manager at Swindon Town, and appointed caretaker boss of Reading in April 2023 following the sacking of Paul Ince.

He penned a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club when he was appointed head coach, and is ambitious to achieve during his time in the Reading dugout.

"I keep saying to the boys that we have only just started on this journey," Hunt added.

"I'm still learning on the job and making little mistakes all the time, trying to get better and grow, but I'd like to say I'm a winner and I have an obsession.

"I said at first in my career that I never loved football - I loved the winning, that drove me on and have me the buzz, I'm trying to continue that feeling to my managerial career and hopefully that can happen Saturday."