Ipswich boss Joe Royle paid tribute to Bermudian Shaun Goater before Saturday?s English First Division game against Reading, hailing the man he signed for Manchester City from Bristol City in 1998.

Royle said: ?It was fantastic to see him get his MBE, he is a true gentleman of soccer. It is nice to see a good guy do well. The Goat is terrific and is a great example to many people.

?I got letters for six months when I signed him from people telling me he wasn?t good enough to play for Man City. He ended up being a legend there.?

Goater hit 103 goals in 212 games for City and helped them win promotion in successive years under Royle.

The Ipswich boss added: ?The Goat has made the best of every ounce he has got. He got three goals in six games when we got relegated. Everyone was telling me he wasn?t good enough for the Second Division.

?He then got 30 goals in Division Two, they then said he certainly wasn?t good enough for Division One and he got another 30 goals. So he is used to proving people wrong.

?He even scored at a good rate in the Premiership even though he had a cartilage operation.

?From the reports we have, he was Reading?s best player against Preston and that doesn?t surprise me ? so beware the Goat.?

Goater, however, failed to emulate his FA Cup performance of the previous weekend against Ipswich.

The striker made a scoring return after an injury lay-off in the 3-3 draw with Preston but on Saturday could not get on the scoresheet against the Tractor Boys.

The Royals drew 1-1, Goater?s strike partner for the day, Lloyd Owusu, opening the scoring after 62 minutes only for John McGreal to equalise.

Goater lasted 77 minutes before Reading brought on newly acquired frontman Dave Kitson.