Reading Loan In Hull City Left-Back Matty Jacob

The 24-year-old is set to stay for the season.

Reading have a new left-back! Welcome to Berkshire Matty Jacob, a 24-year-old defender who arrives from Hull City on loan for the season.

The Royals have been linked with Jacob for a few weeks now, while he was also reportedly of interest to other clubs at a similar level to us, including Bolton Wanderers. A deal was reportedly done on July 2, with a medical two days later.

Reading do have some connections which may well have influenced the deal. Former manager Ruben Selles was in charge at Hull last season so could have recommended the left-back to the current setup, while Jacob’s agent is Stephen Hunt.

Depending on who you count as a left-back, Reading may now well be done for signings in this position. The Royals used Andre Garcia and Jeriel Dorsett here last season, while youngsters John Clarke and John Ryan are good fits too (all of these four players are now under contract for at least one more year). Then again, some or all of them could be used elsewhere in 2025/26: Garcia out wide, Dorsett as a centre-back, and so on.

Jacob is a product of the Tigers’ academy but has first-team experience at three clubs. That started off with a loan spell at Pickering in the Northern Premier League Division One East, being named their 2018/19 player of the season, having joined in February 2019.

A couple of seasons later he managed 31 games in the National League North and two in the FA Cup in what was ultimately a promotion season for Gateshead. He also provided two goals and four assists.

Since then he’s played 22 times in the Championship and once in the FA Cup for Hull City. However, given that those games cover the last three seasons and work out to an average of less than 60 minutes per match, it’s not a huge amount of game time in the second tier.

Jacob is surplus to requirements at Hull, falling behind centre-back Sean McLoughlin in the pecking order. That was actually a decision made by former Reading boss Selles. The Tigers were reportedly even open to letting Jacob go permanently, so as to cut their wage bill.

Hopefully he’ll be able to nail down a spot in what’s been a problem position at Reading for some time now. It’d be ideal if Jacob can not only be the Royals’ established left-back in 2024/25, but also beyond, should circumstances permit.

Welcome to Berkshire Matty!