Reading striker Sean Patton grateful for his League of Ireland education

​The 19 year-old striker has been busy settling into his new surroundings since making his deadline day switch from the Brandywell club and has been training with Noel Hunt's first team squad at the state-of-the-art Bearwood Park training facility.

He joined the Royals on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee and went straight into the U21 set-up and he's quickly adapted to the 'step-up'.

The Drumkeen teenager believes his experience playing on loan at Finn Harps and training and representing the Derry City first team since the age of 16 will equip him for the rigours of League One football should he make the breakthrough.

"When you're playing football in Ireland and come across it really stands by you," he said in an interview on this week's Talking Derry City podcast. "It's a different game physicality-wise. Training with men since I was 15 or 16 stood by me. The boys in Derry have been top, they're a really good group pushing for leagues and that will stand by me.

"You can tell maybe with some of the other lads who haven't yet played men's football, you can see the difference."

The level-headed youngster is taking it all in his stride as he prepares to don the blue and white hoops for the first time in Friday's U21 Premier League Cup clash with Bournemouth at the EBB Stadium.

"I'm settling in really well. It's been my first week so I got in and met the boys. It's been a bit of a mental week getting apartments and stuff but I've got it all sorted now and I'm having a good week so far anyway.

"The facilities they have are just unbelievable. I think they have 10 grass pitches and finding my way around buildings is tricky enough but I'm managing that anyway. Owenbeg's not bad but it's definitely a step up," he laughed.

Portsmouth had been keeping tabs on the Donegal lad for the past 12 months since a successful trial at Fratton Park but when Reading showed their hand after a training camp in Fota Island in the summer, there was only one destination for Patton.

"I had two days there and we kind of left it for two weeks. From there it obviously picked up quite late, very close to the deadline day and we were wondering would it get done or not get done but we got it over the line in the end so I was happy out.

"It's a fantastic club and there's a big Irish connection here with Noel, the gaffer, and there's a few Irish lads in there like Mark [O'Mahony] is there and John Ryan that I would know.

"For me, they're a really big club and we're definitely going on the right path now in terms of owner-wise and stuff like that, so the Irish thing and it being a big club in general and I really liked it so it was a no-brainer for me."

Patton made 10 appearances for Tiernan Lynch's Derry side this season and he believes the physicality and mentality developed in the Premier Division will prove beneficial.

"I found the step up grand so far. I feel like training with men and the lads in Derry for the last two or three years since I was 16 really, really helps. Physicality-wise and mentality-wise it definitely helps you gain that experience. So when you go into the U21s you can definitely see the difference in terms of the boys who have played men's football already. So it's definitely helped me." He's hoping to hit the ground running on Friday and make an instant impression.

"That's the plan. I was training with the 21s my first day there but I've actually been training with the first team ever since. We have our first 21s game this week, Bournemouth at home so we'll see what happens from there really.

"You just have to get in and hit the ground running. It's great to get a two year deal but time flies, especially in football. One minute the league is just starting and the next minute it's nearly over. So you have to make your mark straight away but I think I'm able to do that. I think I'm ready."

Patton, who netted a pre-season hat-trick against Sligo, admits feeling frustrated at a lack of playing time this season but admits the timing just wasn't right. He's grateful for his development at Derry City and has no doubt Lynch can guide his former teammates to silverware in the coming seasons.

"I was a bit frustrated and felt I could've played more based on my preseason but it's the gaffer’s decision at the end of the day.

"I would've liked to have played more for Derry but I still made good appearances compared to the year before. I got good experience at Derry and loved my time there. Obviously you would like to play more, especially for a local team but that's just the way it goes sometimes. The timing just didn't really work out for me."

The talented striker has been capped four times for Ireland U19s and he's hoping his move to Reading can put him on the radar of U21 boss Jim Crawford in the coming months.

"There's probably no better feeling than putting on the green jersey and representing your country. I got to represent them through the age groups, U16s, 18s and 19s and scored on my U19s debut. Hopefully I can break into the U21s and God knows where it can go.

"You have your likes of Mason [Melia] and a good few League of Ireland boys in there like Michael Noonan. Mark O'Mahony from Reading is there. So it's a young group. I need to get my head down, keep performing and hopefully break into the squad."