Nigel Adkins plans Reading's immediate Premier League return

Reading manager Nigel Adkins targeted an immediate return to the Premier League after his side's top-flight relegation was confirmed.

The Royals drew 0-0 with QPR to leave both teams to deal with dropping into the Championship next season.

"We all want to be in the Premier League, I certainly do," said Adkins. "It's a great place to be.

"We need to use the experiences and the lessons we have learned this season wisely so that we can get back here."

Adkins was appointed Royals boss at the end of March after the club parted company with Brian McDermott but he has failed to improve the club's form.

Reading have lost three and drawn two of the five games under Adkins, who wants his players to use their relegation as a motivating force next season.

"It's not a nice feeling being relegated," added the 48-year-old. "We talked about it in the dressing room [after the QPR game] and bottling up the feeling as it's not nice.

"But what we have got to do now is embrace the challenge we are faced with and look forward with positivity.

"We've still got games left in the Premier League and a few more weeks left on the training ground to implement the ideas we are after.

"When we come back at the end of June for pre-season, we want to give ourselves an opportunity to keep pushing forward with a Championship campaign."

Adkins was relegated from the Championship as Scunthorpe boss in 2007-08 before immediately steering the club back up by winning promotion from League One the following 2008-09 season.

He will have to assess the strength of his Reading squad but refused to speculate on potential summer signings.

"The attitude and application of the players has been first class since I've joined the club," said Adkins.

"We needed to get some wins and we haven't done that but you can't fault the effort of the players.

"There will be speculation of players joining and leaving, which happens at every club, but we have an opportunity to build for the future.

"We have eight or nine players who won the Championship last season."