Joao Virginia’s loan spell at Reading was cut short in January and he’s since returned to Everton’s u23s. The 20-year-old was meant to spend the season with the Royals, but poor form and a subsequent lack of playing time led to Reading terminating the deal.
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According to Sam Carroll of the Liverpool Echo, Everton have put Virginia back in their reserve-team to boost his confidence. The Portuguese u21 was guilty of making numerous errors between the sticks at Reading, leading to him being dropped to the bench and eventually omitted from the matchday squad.
Virginia conceded five goals in his first two appearances for Reading – 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday (August 3, 2019), 2-1 defeat to Hull City (August 10) – and never played again. He looked shaky in goal and never managed to recover his confidence.
The 20-year-old ended his loan spell in Reading’s reserve-team before returning to Merseyside. Now Everton have to make up for lost time after months spent on the periphery. Virginia looked ready for competitive football last summer after impressing with the u23s, but his development has since stalled and he’ll need to be patient for first-team opportunities in the future.