Williams on verge of signing for Reading
By Wendy Gee - 
BRETT Williams is set to become the fourth player sold to a Football League club during Ian Baird’s three-and-a half-year reign as Eastleigh boss.
The Spitfires have received a written offer from Championship promotion chasers Reading for the 23-year-old frontrunner, who has banged in four goals in Eastleigh’s last two Blue Square Bet South outings.
On the face of it, the wheels have moved remarkably swiftly for the Hedge End-based striker, who only had his first training session with the Royals on Monday.
He was invited to play in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Colchester on Tuesday and scored in a 2-0 victory watched by Reading boss Brian McDermott.
But Williams had been on the Royals’ radar for some time and with other clubs starting to sit up and take notice – Saints, Brighton and Wycombe believed to be among them – McDermott made his move.
Williams is understood to have agreed a one-and-a-half-year deal with the Madejski Stadium club, which Reading would have the option to extend by a further 12 months.
He trained again with Reading yesterday, but the deal cannot be finalised until today when Eastleigh’s director of football Dave Malone returns from holiday.
Eastleigh boss Baird - who has already seen Aaron Martin move to Saints, Mark Marshall (now Barnet) to Swindon and Damian Scannell (now Dagenham & Redbridge) to Southend - confirmed: “I received an emailed offer from Reading which I’ve forwarded to our chairman Paul Murray.
“I know Reading are keen to do something as quickly as possible. Dave Malone was due back late last night and we have a meeting arranged for today.”
Williams is in his third spell with Eastleigh. Having started there as a youth player, he made a huge impact when he returned to the Silverlake from Winchester City two years ago, helping the Spitfires into the Blue Square South play-offs and catching the eye of Scottish giants Celtic at the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens that summer.
But he lost his way at the start of last season and was sold to Southern League neighbours AFC Totton for £7,500.
Williams, though, didn't settle with the Stags and, after a couple of failed attempts to loan him back, Baird finally did so at the start of this season and the move subsequently become permanent.
After a bright start, inconsistency set in again and Williams found himself warming the bench until injuries to Jamie Slabber and Richard Gillespie re-opened the door.
So far the pacy striker hasn't put a foot wrong, spearheading the side on a sizzling run of five straight league and cup victories.
"I was always confident we'd eventually get something out of Brett and he did have a good impact when he came back from Totton," said Baird. "But he dropped off again and I had to sit him down in the naughty boys' chair and tell him that he had to put things right or he'd end up playing for the Dog & Duck.
"He's taken his opportunity now and he's finally starting to understand what a brilliant opportunity this is to go to a fantastic club like Reading.
"The deal's not done yet, but it looks as if the door is open for Brett. The opportunity's there and I hope he grasps it."
BRETT Williams is set to become the fourth player sold to a Football League club during Ian Baird’s three-and-a half-year reign as Eastleigh boss.
The Spitfires have received a written offer from Championship promotion chasers Reading for the 23-year-old frontrunner, who has banged in four goals in Eastleigh’s last two Blue Square Bet South outings.
On the face of it, the wheels have moved remarkably swiftly for the Hedge End-based striker, who only had his first training session with the Royals on Monday.
He was invited to play in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Colchester on Tuesday and scored in a 2-0 victory watched by Reading boss Brian McDermott.
But Williams had been on the Royals’ radar for some time and with other clubs starting to sit up and take notice – Saints, Brighton and Wycombe believed to be among them – McDermott made his move.
Williams is understood to have agreed a one-and-a-half-year deal with the Madejski Stadium club, which Reading would have the option to extend by a further 12 months.
He trained again with Reading yesterday, but the deal cannot be finalised until today when Eastleigh’s director of football Dave Malone returns from holiday.
Eastleigh boss Baird - who has already seen Aaron Martin move to Saints, Mark Marshall (now Barnet) to Swindon and Damian Scannell (now Dagenham & Redbridge) to Southend - confirmed: “I received an emailed offer from Reading which I’ve forwarded to our chairman Paul Murray.
“I know Reading are keen to do something as quickly as possible. Dave Malone was due back late last night and we have a meeting arranged for today.”
Williams is in his third spell with Eastleigh. Having started there as a youth player, he made a huge impact when he returned to the Silverlake from Winchester City two years ago, helping the Spitfires into the Blue Square South play-offs and catching the eye of Scottish giants Celtic at the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens that summer.
But he lost his way at the start of last season and was sold to Southern League neighbours AFC Totton for £7,500.
Williams, though, didn't settle with the Stags and, after a couple of failed attempts to loan him back, Baird finally did so at the start of this season and the move subsequently become permanent.
After a bright start, inconsistency set in again and Williams found himself warming the bench until injuries to Jamie Slabber and Richard Gillespie re-opened the door.
So far the pacy striker hasn't put a foot wrong, spearheading the side on a sizzling run of five straight league and cup victories.
"I was always confident we'd eventually get something out of Brett and he did have a good impact when he came back from Totton," said Baird. "But he dropped off again and I had to sit him down in the naughty boys' chair and tell him that he had to put things right or he'd end up playing for the Dog & Duck.
"He's taken his opportunity now and he's finally starting to understand what a brilliant opportunity this is to go to a fantastic club like Reading.
"The deal's not done yet, but it looks as if the door is open for Brett. The opportunity's there and I hope he grasps it."
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