Coventry were saved from relegation, Reading failed to make the play-offs and now the worst season of Shaun Goater's professional career is finally over.

The former Manchester City talisman started just eight games all year, scoring a paltry single goal while spending most of his time on the bench or in the reserves - a victim of a clause in his contract, injury and a manager who didn't believe in his talents.

Goater - who has just completed a seven-game loan spell at Coventry where he helped the club avoid League Championship relegation, albeit without scoring - is hopeful next year will be better, despite uncertainty over his Reading future.

Manager Steve Coppell has made it clear that the striker, who has made 49 appearances for the club, will not play for them again due to a clause in his contract that states that City will be due ?50,000 ($95,000) if Goater hits 50 games.

“He has not played the majority of this season, so common sense suggests it's unlikely he'll feature next year and Shaun has made it clear he wants to carry on playing football,” said director of football at Reading Nicky Hammond just after Goater was sent to Coventry for the remainder of the season.

“Steve (Coppell) has made it clear that there are a number of other strikers ahead of him and that he is not the future. Hopefully we can find a solution and reach an agreement and pay him off. That could suit everyone.”

Unless he hears otherwise, however, Goater will return for pre-season training with Reading on July 4, remaining committed to them despite an awful year in which he has often found himself pacing around in the footballing wilderness.

Goater, brought to the Madjeski Stadium by Alan Pardew from City for ?500,000 ($950,000) and top scorer the previous season, wasn't even given a full 90 minutes during pre-season and found himself on the bench every week when the season did begin.

He then suffered the ignominy of being brought on for just a handful of minutes, sometimes as few as two, from the bench and was only offered starts in League Cup games.

“It was clear from the start of the year that I wasn't going to be the gaffer's first choice,” said Goater, who has banged in over 200 goals in his more than 400 games as a professional over the past 16 years.

“I knew I wasn't going to play every week but I thought I'd be looking at 15 to 18 games as a starter and then maybe another ten from the bench, getting 20 minutes or so.

“I couldn't have imagined that I would get so little playing time. There were some very frustrating moments for me this season, I went for long spells where I wasn't involved at all.

“I felt like a fan or a coach for a lot of the time this season. I was sitting in the stands watching the games and looking at tactics and how we were playing, knowing there was no realistic chance that I would be involved in the near future.”

When Goater did get a chance, courtesy of injuries to Coppell's first-choice strikers Nicky Forster and Dave Kitson, he limped off with a calf injury in his second game back.

“That was really hard for me to take,” said Goater, who somehow seemed to remain relatively upbeat despite the trials and tribulations of the season.

“I had been waiting all season for a chance to prove myself and I was enjoying playing again. It was great to start a second consecutive game and then to get injured like that was very frustrating.

“I limped off to face four weeks on the sidelines and knew that by the time I came back, my place in the team would be gone.”

The undoubted low point for the striker, however, came when he had to choose between club and country - and unwittingly made the wrong choice.

Goater had been given clearance from his club to come back to represent Bermuda in the Digicel Cup in St. Vincent and a chance to play for close pal and former fellow professional Kyle LIghtbourne in his first game in charge of the national team.

But at the 11th hour Goater pulled out after the club's assistant coach Kevin Dillon asked him to stay behind on the promise he would definitely be involved in that weekend's league fixture for Reading. But in the end Goater was an unused substitute.

“I was excited about the prospect of playing for my country in the Digicel and playing for Kyle,” said Goater, who was criticised locally for the decision.

“But faced with the choice between coming home or resurrecting my season with the club who pay my wages, I thought the right thing to do was to play for Reading.

“When I didn't play it was tough to swallow. I was getting stick back in Bermuda and I wasn't wanted by my club - that was easily the lowest point of my season.”

Bermuda did, however, provide Goater with one of his three highlights from this last campaign.

He returned to play for his country against both Santos and New England Revolution - which along with going to Coventry on loan and notching his only strike of the year against Oxford in the League Cup - were his only real high points.

“It was great to come back,” said Goater, who failed to score in either game at the National Sports Centre.

“It was nice to be wanted again and nice to be appreciated. I really enjoyed playing for Kyle and I hope I get the opportunity to do so again.

“At Coventry, it was the same. Everyone wants to feel appreciated and wanted and I got that at Coventry, even though I didn't score, as I did my bit to help them stay up.

“It's been a frustrating season for me. At my age, you just want to play games and I didn't get the chance to do that.

“But when you look at it, things could be a lot worse. I get to play football for a living and I am determined to enjoy that. Dropping me from the first team won't stop me enjoying playing for the reserves.

“It has been a hard year but I have another one left and I am going to make sure I enjoy it.”