Reading's danger man in tights

Hunt, who, after seeing off early Premier League leaders Everton on Saturday, revealed that he wears tights and watches EastEnders while in the bath. He is also the best left-sided midfielder in the Premier League on present form. Better even than sprightly veteran Ryan Giggs.

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In fact, Steve McClaren must wish the Reading star held a different passport. The 26-year-old is Irish — what McClaren would do to have a similar Englishman over the next four weeks.

The former Crystal Palace and Brentford midfielder has talent, tenacity and fire — Steve Coppell prefers to describe the latter as 'controlled fury'. He displayed all at the Madejski Stadium as he delivered the home side their first win of a ridiculously tough opening three games of the season.

Having earned a point at the champions Manchester United before losing narrowly to previous winners Chelsea, Coppell's side ground out a victory after Hunt scored the only goal just before halftime.

Substitute Ulises De La Cruz, making his 100th Premier League appearance, launched a long throw into the Everton box. Kevin Doyle deviously held off Alan Stubbs and the ball bounced for Hunt, who took it in front of Tony Hibbert before finishing neatly with his right and less-favoured foot.

Hunt said: "I had cramp in every muscle in my body at the end. My bottom cheeks went into spasm!

"But I put the tights on — the recovery tights that keep the legs warm — they cover everything. All the boys have the tights and we wear them after every game for four hours. I've been having ice baths every night for half-an-hour as well.

My missus is getting sick of it because I've had a TV put in the bathroom so I don' t get bored. I sit there and watch EastEnders."

And in such soap-opera style, Saturday's star turn missed the finale after he was substituted in the 79th minute. Hunt's absence allowed Andre Bikey to steal the show.

The assured 22-year-old Cameroon defender had Andrew Johnson in his pocket all afternoon and will have left England boss McClaren pondering his attacking options ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Germany.

The only opportunity that came Johnson's way resulted from a slip by De La Cruz. James McFadden, impressive after replacing Hibbert, skinned Nicky Shorey — another England squad member — and curled a shot over and around Marcus Hahnemann.

McFadden's effort rattled back off the angle of post and bar. Johnson scuffed the rebound against the Reading keeper, who then touched his second effort against the post.

Everton centre half Stubbs said: "It was one of those games when you walk away from the ground thinking, "How have we not taken anything?"

"I don't think it was anything to do with three games in a week at the start of the season because I don't think we looked tired, we were getting about them.

"They had a few attacks in the first half but I wouldn't say they were hurting us."

But hurt Everton were as they were toppled from the Premier League summit.

However, Stubbs remained upbeat after tasting defeat for the first time this season. He said: "We've got six points out of nine, if you'd have given us this last Saturday at 2pm, we'd have snapped your hands off. 'It's a blip but we're playing well enough to go into our next game and be confident of getting a result."

Moyes, who hopes to complete the signing of Aiyegbeni Yakubu from Middlesbrough this week and was overseeing his 400th League game as a manager, said: "Maybe we could have got something today but if we had, it would have been only a point.

"If we had drawn today and drawn at Tottenham last Wednesday, you would have said it was a decent start to the season. We've actually picked up a point more than that so we can't complain too much."

Man of the match Bikey added: "I'm happy, first because we won the game and second because when the gaffer is happy I'm happy too. It's not so easy seeing the gaffer laughing, you know! If he's laughing, I think it's because he's happy."

Coppell did not leave the ground laughing but he did allow himself a smile of satisfaction after a job well done.