Rightful recognition for a Royals legend.
Our former promotion-winning captain, Jobi McAnuff, was last night presented with the Sir Tom Finney Award at the EFL Awards 2022.
The prestigious prize, which is presented to a player who has had an outstanding career and contributed an exceptional amount to the EFL and football in general, was awarded to the former winger, who totalled more than 750 appearances for eight clubs during his playing career.
Jobi played in all four tiers but, of course, it was is 208 appearances made in Reading colours that we will long remember. Not least the role he played in captaining our club back to the Premier League under Brian McDermott in 2012.
"It's a massive honour and privilege to receive an award like this," he said. "To win an individual award after my career is finished - I didn't win many when I was playing - is special.
"For me, playing football has always been a dream. That's what kept me going as long as I did and gave me that drive to keep going.
"Professionally, just to be recognised with the nature of the award, it's a special one. You look at some of the past recipients - people that are held in incredibly high regard in the football and in the EFL, which I've got a very close affinity to, as well."
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As part of the presentation, McDermott spoke in a short video, on the impact Jobi had at our club.
“He could play with his right foot, with his left foot, he could score a goal, he could make a goal, he had a robustness, pace, endurance – once I suggested to him that I might possibly give him a rest…I won’t tell you what he said! He wanted to play every single minute of every single game.
“We needed leaders to emerge and he was one of those leaders. The younger boys respected him and they went to him to talk about whatever was going on in their lives. And he listened.
“The night we went up…he famously didn’t know we’d done it at first, got promotion. But I remember the celebrations were fabulous. Two men have captained Reading to the Premier League and he has the honour of being one of them.”
Congratulations Jobi!
