Defender to spend campaign at Spotland
Defender Jeriel Dorsett has today completed the paperwork on a season-long loan deal with Rochdale, which is set to keep him at Spotland for the duration of the 2021-22 campaign.
Dorsett, 19, became the 56th player to graduate from our Academy to make a first-team appearance when he came off the bench to help the Royals to a clean sheet against Blackpool in an FA Cup win in January 2020 at the age of 19 – three months after signing his first pro deal.
Then a year later, he played the duration for his full Royals debut as fellow Championship side Luton Town snuck a 1-0 cup victory at Kenilworth Road against a Reading team brimming with young talent.
Last season, he made 17 appearances as an Under-23 player for Reading – as well as being named as a first-team substitute on nine occasions. Over the course of pre-season, he made appearances against Lincoln, Charlton and West Ham as part of our senior setup.
Now, he has a chance to cut his teeth in senior football with the Dale in League Two.
It has been a tricky start to life back in the fourth tier for the Greater Manchester club – following relegation last season, Rochdale have taken just a single point from their first three league outings.
And Dorsett will be aiming to earn plenty of playing time and experience as part of the Dale rearguard – a defensive unit which lost former Royals skipper Paul McShane in the summer, as he returned to Manchester United in a coaching capacity!
With an action-packed League Two schedule ahead, plus cup opportunities in the Carabao Cup and Papa John's Trophy, there will be opportunities to gain valuable experience - and to help his loan side get their season up and running.
Our very best wishes go to Jeriel and Rochdale for a successful loan spell in the north west.