Hugely experienced at Championship level, Sam Hutchinson joined the Royals on a two-year contract in the summer of 2022 following a successful trial at the club.

Born in Windsor, his football adventure began at the age of nine when he joined the Chelsea Academy and made his debut for the Blues in the Premier League against Everton in 2007.

After a knee injury had seen Hutchinson retired, he returned to the game in 2011 and made his second Chelsea debut in April 2012 in a 6-1 West London derby victory over Queens Park Rangers.

The following season saw Hutchinson get his first experience of Championship football when he spent a season long loan with Nottingham Forest, scoring the winner against Charlton Athletic on his first start at the City Ground.

He spent the first half of 2013-14 in Dutch football with Vitesse Arnhem, which included him featuring in a 1-0 win away to champions Ajax.

His long association with Sheffield Wednesday began at the start of 2014 with a loan move, breaking his duck in a 4-2 Good Friday victory over AFC Bournemouth.

At the end of the campaign, he agreed a two-year deal with the Owls and was a key performer as the Hillsborough outfit reached the Championship Play-Off Final in 2016.

Hutchinson featured 34 times the next season as his side were denied a Wembley date against the Royals, as Carlos Carvalhal’s team lost on penalties to Huddersfield Town in the Play-Off semi-final.

He originally departed the Owls at the end of the 2019-20 season for Cyprus, but departed Pafos after a short spell to return to S6 in January 2021.

His final season for Wednesday saw him make 31 appearances as he suffered Play-Off heartbreak again, this time at the hands of Sunderland, in his 207th and final match for the club.

July 2022 saw Hutchinson swap blue and white stripes for the blue and white hoops of the Royals ahead of Paul Ince’s first full season in charge in RG2. However injuries limited Hutchinson to just 12 appearances during the 2022-23 season.