Reading, England – Reading announced Tuesday that it has appointed Nigel Adkins as the club's new manager, two weeks after the sacking of Brian McDermott.
Adkins, who has put pen to paper on a contract to manage the Royals until the summer of 2016, is returning to management after a two-month break. He was sacked by Southampton in January despite securing back-to-back promotions for the Saints.
The 48-year-old takes over for a Reading side that is second from bottom in the Premier League table, sitting seven points adrift of safety.
"I've not made any comments since I left Southampton and I want to take the opportunity to thank all the people there. I thank the fans, the players and supporters," said Adkins. "We were on a fantastic journey but we have to move on now.
"I am pleased to be the Reading manager. We will take it one game at a time and try and keep this club in the Premier League. It's a good club, I've been impressed with them and I've always known what sort of club it is. We're in the Premier League and we want to stay there. I am excited."
Adkins will begin his Reading career with a trip to Arsenal on Saturday before taking on his former club in Southampton the following match.
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