Reading FC capitalising on Crystal Palace call delivered unexpected returns | OneFootball

Scott Dann looked like an excellent addition on paper, but unfortunately, he didn't end up shining for the Royals.

Scott Dann was an impressive asset for Crystal Palace, following his move from Blackburn Rovers.

The centre-back made the switch from Rovers back in January 2014 - and his contributions at Selhurst Park helped Palace to establish themselves as a solid Premier League team.

Not only was he an important player in the defensive third for the Eagles, but he was also able to contribute in the final third.

Though he spent time out of action for the top-tier side after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury against Manchester City in December 2017, he was able to be called upon for much of his spell at the club and was seen as an excellent servant by many Palace fans.

And when he rocked up at then-Championship side Reading in the summer of 2021, it looked as though he was going to be a very shrewd addition at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Scott Dann's move to Reading FC

Dann, having been released by Palace earlier in the summer, joined the Royals in August 2021.

He looked to be a very shrewd addition, considering the second-tier outfit arguably needed to strengthen their defence at that point.

Not only had Lewis Gibson returned to his parent club, but they also saw Jeriel Dorsett secure a loan move to Rochdale.

Louie Holzman and Michael Stickland, meanwhile, were probably too inexperienced to contribute at that point.

The Berkshire side may have had Tom Holmes, Tom McIntyre, Liam Moore and Michael Morrison at their disposal at the time of Dann's arrival, but senior depth was lacking at full-back and it wouldn't have been a surprise to have seen Holmes and McIntyre fill in at full-back for a decent chunk of the 2021/22 season.

Having Dann, therefore, looked to be a boost and with the experience he had, it wouldn't have been a shock to have seen him thrive in Berkshire.

Scott Dann didn't live up to expectations at Reading FC

Dann did fairly well for the Berkshire outfit at points.

During the early stages of his time at the club, he was brought on as a substitute against Cardiff City and helped his team to secure a victory in the Welsh capital, keeping a clean sheet in the process.

That tactical decision from Veljko Paunovic was a big risk, but Dann repaid the faith that the Serbian had placed in him.

He also scored a couple of goals against Blackpool and Nottingham Forest, with his goal against the latter helping the Royals to secure a point.

Unfortunately, he often struggled to keep clean sheets when playing for Reading, though that wasn't all his fault.

He also spent a decent chunk of his time at the club on the sidelines with injuries, first breaking down against Fulham in January 2022. Barring a few appearances at the back end of the campaign, he spent much of the remainder of the season out of action.

And he only made 13 league appearances during the 2022/23 campaign because of injury issues - and came off the bench in five of these games.

Spending the first half of that season out of action, by the time he came back, he had slowed down and was a shadow of the player that he once was.

A lot of players struggled during the Paul Ince era, but Dann probably would have struggled regardless, and he was viewed in a negative light by plenty of Royals fans by the time he was released in June 2023.

It's a shame he declined and became injury-prone - because he could have been a real asset in Berkshire.

In saying that, he was in his mid-thirties by the time he joined the Royals and had enjoyed a great career before he made the move to the SCL Stadium, so he may not be too down about the fact his spell in Berkshire didn't work out for the best.