Reading boss Steve Coppell has defended the decision to sell striker Dave Kitson to Stoke City.

"It was good money, but if you look at his goalscoring record I'll bet there is hardly a player in the country that can match Dave Kitson's ratio of goals to games," Coppell said.

"You can't buy goals. Well, you can but it costs an awful lot. At the sharp end is where it really matters. It's the difference between survival and relegation, and promotion and play-offs.

"Dave decided he wanted to move on because he wanted to play in the Premiership. At 28, he felt time was not quite running out, but something to be mindful of."