Gus Poyet turns down Reading job to stay with Brighton

Brighton boss Gus Poyet has opted to stay at the Championship club after holding preliminary talks to discuss the vacant manager's post at Reading.

The 45-year-old is understood to have met officials from the Premier League club on Wednesday morning before flying to the Caribbean for a holiday.

But having asked for time to consider his options, Poyet has told Brighton he is committed to the club.

The relegation-threatened Royals sacked Brian McDermott earlier this month.

McDermott, 51, led the club to promotion last season, but four successive Premier League defeats left the Berkshire club four points adrift of safety at the time of his departure.

Poyet's decision leaves former Southampton manager Nigel Adkins as the leading contender for the Reading post, despite complications over his settlement with the south-coast club.

Adkins has been on the shortlist from the start of the search to replace McDermott and the Royals remain keen to appoint a new manager before next weekend's Premier League match with Arsenal.

And former Reading captain Adrian Williams is a firm admirer of the ex-Scunthorpe boss.

"Nigel Adkins's CV is fantastic," Williams told BBC Sport.

"I love the way Southampton played football. He did his apprenticeship, was a physio, became a manager and hasn't looked back.

"He is a calm individual and hugely respected. He is similar to Brian McDermott and the 'Reading way', but do Reading want to continue with that?"

There also remains the possibility that caretaker manager Eamonn Dolan could be left in charge until the end of the season. Dolan took charge of the side that lost 1-0 to Manchester United on 16 March.

Reading, owned by Russian businessman Anton Zingarevich, are seven points from safety with eight games left and still have matches against Liverpool, bottom-placed Queen's Park Rangers and Manchester City to play.

Brighton are seventh in the Championship, with only goal difference currently keeping them out of the play-offs.