Hot on the heels of yesterday’s signing of Simon Cox, Reading Football Club has announced the signing of Nottingham Forest forward Jamie Mackie on a season-long loan deal.
The 28-year-old striker will further bolster the club’s attacking options following the capture of Simon Cox from the City Ground yesterday, however a minor hamstring injury means Mackie will be sidelined for about a week and therefore won’t be involved in the opening league fixture at the DW Stadium on Saturday.
“This is a great opportunity for me,” Mackie said. “Speaking to the manager, I know this club have a lot of really good, young players breaking through into the first team and it feels great to be part of that. If myself and Coxy can add a bit of guile and experience to the group then that will be important this season. I’m excited to get going.”
The Scottish international arrives at Madejski Stadium with plenty of experience in the top tiers of English football with Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest.
During a successful spell at Loftus Road he picked up a Championship winners medal in helping QPR earn promotion back to the top flight in 2011, before featuring 41(+19) times in the club’s two-season stint in the Premier League – scoring on nine occasions.
He was on the scoresheet against Liverpool and Manchester United, whilst also finding the net in arguably the most famous game in Premier League history – Manchester City’s dramatic title-clinching win over Mark Hughes’ men at the Etihad in May 2012.
He earned his first Scotland cap against the Czech Republic in October 2010 before scoring in only his second international appearance, a 3-0 win over the Faroe Islands. He has played nine times for his country, scoring twice.
After joining Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2013, Mackie made 38(+7) appearances in the Sky Bet Championship last season.
Manager Nigel Adkins commented, “Jamie is a player I remember watching when he was at Plymouth – he is a good age, works so hard for the team and I’m delighted to get this loan deal across the line. Both players we have brought in have experience of playing in the Championship, the Premier League and at international level and they will provide a positivity, a hunger and a desire to work hard with a group of players who have a fantastic team spirit.”
Mackie began his career at Wimbledon, making his professional debut in a 3-0 win at Madejski Stadium shortly before the club controversially switched to MK Dons, and he went on to make 87 appearances for Exeter City before a move to Plymouth in 2008.
Royals fans may remember the forward finding the net in spectacular fashion against Steve Coppell’s Reading side for the Pilgrims at Home Park back in March 2009.
The loan deal is of course subject to the usual ratification from the relevant football authorities.
