Leam Richardson has praised Udoka Godwin-Malife and wants Benn Ward to 'step up' and become a leader on the pitch for Reading FC. The team are not short of senior figures in the dressing room with Lewis Wing and Joel Pereira holding the positions of Captain and Vice Captain respectively. Others in the squad have held positions of leadership in their former clubs. Paudie O'Connor captained Lincoln City, and summer signing Udoka Godwin-Malife wore the armband whilst playing for Burton Albion. Speaking to The Reading Chronicle, Leam Richardson praised the right-back following his performance against Woking on Saturday, highlighting his importance both on the field and in the dressing room. He told The Chronicle: "You can see the qualities. I've been an admirer of him for a while. "Obviously, I know Gary [Bowyer] very well at Burton, who speaks really highly of him. He was their captain, and that's the type of character that we need." Though Richardson in his response highlighted newcomer Jacob Brown, who brings Premier League and Championship experience, whilst also seeing Benn Ward as a natural leader who he wants to see 'step up' to the challenge. He said: "Obviously, we've got a couple, you know, Jacob Brown, obviously we've got the skip [Lewis Wing], Paudie [O'Connor] within there as well. "I want Benn Ward to step up and also be that leader. "Dokes will do it naturally, because it serves you well going forward, and if we want to be consistent through the season, we need more of that." Reading FC are currently 12th in League One, 63 points from 46 games, with a goal difference of +4. They are 40 points behind leaders Lincoln and have 64 goals scored and 60 conceded this season. Their next fixture is against Blackpool on February 13, 2027.