House first linked up with the Daggers when he agreed to a short-term loan to Victoria Road in November and promptly scored twice on his debut.
Having earned loan minutes with Swindon Town the previous season, our Academy graduate scored the first two of Dagenham’s six in a 6-1 victory over Aldershot two months ago - making the perfect start to life in the National League.
Injury struck to interrupt his impact during that loan spell, although he returned to first team action on Boxing Day to help Daryl McMahon’s men earn a 1-1 scoreline at home to Ebbsfleet.
He played again on New Year’s Day – a start which earned the Daggers exactly the same result against the same opposition, only this time away from home.
House’s promise has been noted by the Royals’ first team coaching staff; the 20-year-old returned to Reading and was part of the squad that travelled to Blackpool for an Emirates FA Cup replay victory over the Tangerines, before making his senior team bow in our 1-1 draw at home to Cardiff City in the Fourth Round last weekend.
Fellow Academy graduate Tom McIntyre’s second yellow card against the Bluebirds unfortunately cut House’s first team debut short – the substitute was sacrificed for a defender as ten-man Reading hung on to earn a replay against Neil Harris’ side last weekend.
However, House was presented with his commemorative shirt in front of the Academy Honours Board at Madejski Stadium before Tuesday night’s Championship game against Bristol City – the forward’s name will soon be physically added to the board and etched into our Academy’s history as the latest in a long line to come through our youth ranks and break into the first team at Reading.
House, a Scotland Under-20 international, could make his second Daggers debut at Wrexham on Saturday. Everyone at Reading Football Club would like to wish Ben the very best of luck in his loan stay with Dagenham & Redbridge.