LIAM MOORE admits he is relieved that the transfer window has now closed.
After a stellar first season at Reading, Moore was linked with a move away both in the summer and again in January with West Ham United and Celtic among the club linked.
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No bids materialised and Moore remains a Reading player and will play a key role in the
club’s battle to avoid relegation when Championship action returns at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.
“There was a bit of speculation and I was asked about it a few times,” he said.
“I’m kind of glad the transfer window is closed because I had a conversation about a month ago about it with the media and I think I kind of got a bit misunderstood.
“I was asked if I could play at that level (Premier League) and I said I would like to think I can play at that level, would I want to play at that level, again yes I would like to because that’s what everybody’s aiming for.
“Everybody wants the top but nothing happened and that’s the way it is.
“I’m happy at Reading. I like to work hard here and I want to get this club up the table.
“I’ve always tried to maintain that as well and it’s a good thing now because there doesn’t need to be any talk whether he is going or not going, I’m here and I want to fight for the club.”
He added: “On the outside world I don’t really listen to too much.
“But I have been asked the question four or five times, am I going or not going.
“If there was a bid to go in, that’s down to the club.
“I can only control what I can control and that’s my performances.
“It’s closed now and the same applies.
“I guess in the summer there might be more speculation, I don’t know, but it’s just about what I do here and hopefully try and do well for the club.”
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With new signing Tommy Elphick now joining captain Paul McShane on the treatment table, Moore is set to be the leading centre-back for the next few weeks.
And the 25-year-old admits he does feel some extra responsibility to help turn the season around.
“I’ve got to be a big voice,” said Moore.
“We’ve got a lot of injuries in that department at the minute.
“Last season we were lucky with injuries. When teams are going well you normally look at a string of four or five games of the same starting 11.
“We’ve not managed that for a long while now. But we just need to dig in.
“There’s people that can fill in and the sooner we get those players back the better.”
He added: “I thought Tommy settled very well, not only on the pitch but in the dressing room as well.
“Personally I was disappointed because I felt like I had a good understanding with him very quickly in the Burton game and he started very well against Millwall.
“It was a big blow.”
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