Alfie is Back – But This Time as a Scout!

Hey everyone! Guess what? One of our all-time favourite Reading FC players, Adam Le Fondre—who we all lovingly call Alfie—is making a big move! He’s just joined the City Football Group as a Video Scout! How awesome is that?

Alfie was a total legend for Reading. He was our top scorer for three straight seasons: 2011/12, 2012/13, and 2013/14. Even though I was super young back then, I’ve watched tons of his highlights, and he was just incredible! He helped us win the Championship title in 2012, which was such a huge deal for the club.

In 2013, Alfie played in our Premier League season and even won Premier League Player of the Month in January! That’s massive! At 37, he’s still playing football for FC United of Manchester in the Northern Premier Division. But now, he’s also thinking about what’s next after he hangs up his boots.

He told the Reading Chronicle that he knows he can’t play forever and wants to be ready for the future. He’s super excited about starting a scouting role with the City Football Group, focusing on finding new talent. He even mentioned that his dream is to become a Head of Recruitment someday, but he’s ready to work his way up. How inspiring is that?

It’s pretty unique to see a former Premier League player going into scouting instead of coaching. Fun fact: Alfie had a loan spell at Mumbai City FC, one of the City Football Group’s clubs, back in 2020/21. Maybe that experience helped him land this new role!

I’m so happy for Alfie and can’t wait to see the young talents he discovers. Who knows, maybe he’ll send some tips to Rubén to help us find the next big star for Reading FC!