Brian speaks of Brynjar's influence

Reading manager Brian McDermott has spoken out of Brynjar Gunnarsson's growing influence around the squad and the club, describing his importance despite not getting a huge amount of game time in recent months.

The 36-year old is now the longest serving member at the club, being here since the summer of 2005. He has proved to be a versatile figure in his time at the Madejski Stadium, playing all across the back four and in midfield.

McDermott told the official RFC site: 'He doesn't want to go anywhere so I'm happy with that. If he said to me he wanted to play, I'd have had to facilitate that at his age, but he likes being around here and it's just great to have him. The games he's played all over, he's an outstanding human being.'

The former Stoke and Watford player has made 139 appearances for the Royals in total, scoring 10 goals so far. He played a huge part in our fantastic FA Cup run two years ago that saw us beat Liverpool at Anfield, putting in a fine shift at right-back.

As well as playing for Reading, he has 74 caps for his native country of Iceland, captaining the side on many occasions. His contract was due to run out last season but signed a one-year extension at the club, which will keep him until the end of this season.

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