Ehibhatiomhan can handle 'heavy' number nine shirt

New Reading manager Leam Richardson says Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan can handle wearing the "heavy number nine shirt" at the Berkshire club.

The 22-year-old came through the Reading academy, beginning wide on the left, but has ended up front due to the club's lack of strikers.

It is a position he is having to learn on the job to an extent, and will likely start in as the Royals travel to Blackpool on Saturday (12:30 GMT), but Richardson is confident the right structure is in place to help Ehibhatiomhan succeed.

Richardson told BBC Radio Berkshire: "Any football club to carry a number nine shirt is heavy.

"I support Leeds United. Patrick Bamford carried it for years and he got stick from everybody, but he scored goals and got them promoted to the Premier League twice.

"[Kelvin] is a young footballer trying to make his way in a really good football club for which the badge is quite heavy.

"So he'll either succeed because we'll support him, or he won't succeed as quick because we won't support him."

Ehibhatiomhan scored four times in 35 matches last season as Reading finished seventh in League One.

He's scored twice this campaign with the Royals struggling down in 18th which led to Richardson replacing Noel Hunt last month.

"For me you've got to support your number nine, because we've got to supply him. Kelvin is a fantastic person, great professional for his age," he added.

"He's very young to be a number nine and learn your trade, but he'll be up and running very quickly.

"In my world, I'll support him because I think he's got the profile and the attributes, and he's an unbelievable character. He's a very nice lad who cares about his football, who cares about the football club."

Debate remains around where the 22-year-old Nigerian's best position on the field is, with Richardson starting him up front in his opening three matches.

"I don't know where the debate has come from about where his best position is around the pitch," Richardson added.

"I've only just walked in the door. Good players find a way on the pitch, they find a way into better areas, and have better results - and he'll be one of them."

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan made his debut for Reading when he was 18

Learning his trade under Beattie

Experienced former Southampton, Everton, Sheffield United and England striker James Beattie also joined Reading's coaching staff last month, and Richardson says he'll be great to help Ehibhatiomhan's development.

"Beattie worked with Che Adams at Birmingham, sold him to Southampton. [Britt] Assombalonga at Middlesbrough, sold him. Chris Wood at Leeds - sold him," he added.

"He worked with Will Keane and Callum Lang when they were at Wigan who scored a lot of goals, so hopefully we can replicate that here."

Reading are the only team in the EFL not to have recorded an away win yet this season, but Richardson is thinking only of the positives as they head to Blackpool.

"Its a game we think we can go up and be a good version of ourselves in, and win," he said.

"With all due respect, its in the past. There's nothing that I can do to control that. Its my first away game, I'll try and control that one.

"Blackpool are a club I've played for before, I've got really good memories there. There's some really good people who work there. The fans are always excellent, so really looking forward to the challenge."