Howard aims to stay with Reading

Last updated : 22 March 2011 By BBC Sport

He told BBC Berkshire: "[Manager Brian McDermott] said he didn't want me to go but if I really wanted to then I could.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm coming back to Reading in a few days and want to make sure I stay in the team and am involved in the last nine games."

The 28-year-old added: "I want to contribute more to the team. The gaffer knows that and wants me around, so hopefully I can chip in with a couple of important goals, because we want promotion and there's no hiding that."

Howard has made 22 appearances for Reading, most recently starting against his former club Barnsley as the Royals won 1-0 at Oakwell last Saturday.

But Howard said it had been a difficult season for him.

"If you look through my career it's the least I've ever played and it's been frustrating from that point of view," he admitted.

"If you look at the games I have played in, there aren't too many where I've been on the losing side and I'm joint top with the assists, so I've contributed to the team.

"[McDermott] knows that I want to play football. He said to me that I'd been great for him, patient on the sidelines and when I played recently he'd been really happy with my performances and that I'd been unlucky not to find myself in the team."

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport