But he still has one more big goal to tick off his list before he returns to English club Reading – safely navigating Auckland’s notorious traffic.
Bindon is sitting his driver licence test on Tuesday.
“We forget how young he is,” coach Darren Bazeley said. “He’s not passed his driving test, I didn’t know that.”
After the semifinal win against Fiji, teammate Joe Bell was asked which Bindon was more nervous for, the final to qualify the All Whites for the World Cup or his driving test?
“He’s a great guy and a fantastic player. Maybe the driver licence because he seems pretty relaxed on the pitch.”
£700k for Bindon is hardly surprising given his contract situation, but still doesn’t feel great when you know he’s going to be worth £30m+ in a few years… #readingfc
Bindon a full game in a 0-0 draw. Reading stay 6th.
Tzanev watches from the bench. Northampton down to 10 men from 77th min. As per the Crocombe thread NT, are probably safe enough from relegation now with 4 games left.
Won't play Ben Waine, hey Mansfield. Here's a 5-1 shellacking for you.
Bindon a full game as Reading crush MT. Socceroo Baccus with MT's goal. Still no Waine
Reading stay 7th (GD +11), equal on points with 6th placed Leyton Orient (GD +20). 2 teams in a battle for that final playoff spot.
Reading next host Bristol Rovers (21st, 43 pts). Can do themselves and Crocombe's Burton Albion (20th, 43 pts), a big favour by beating Rovers.
Mansfield (19th, 48 pts) could still yet be relegated if they lost all 3 of their final games, and both Albion (3 games left) and Rovers (2 games left) won theirs.
Now that’s an iconic image. Tyler Bindon draped in the NZ flag... following yet another commanding defensive showcase. There’s no way he was going to drop his standards at this stage of the season. Reading had to dig deep away against Bristol Rovers, with both teams looking capable of scoring throughout the contest, but goals from Lewis Wing (67’) and Chem Campbell (90+4’) eventually gave the Royals a hard-earned 2-0 victory. Bindon made a whopping 16 defensive clearances in a match where defences in both directions had to do a lot more resisting than retaliating. But he got the job done.
The annoying thing is that Leyton Orient also won. They beat Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 which means they’ve won five on the trot to stay ahead of Reading on goal difference. These two teams are scrapping it out for the last spot in the promotion playoffs. Birmingham and Wrexham are already confirmed to be going up. Reading, despite all their off-field dramas, still have a chance to join them... but they’ll need to better Orient’s result in next week’s final round. Leyton Orient are away against mid-table Huddersfield while Reading are at home against mid-table Barnsley. The goal difference swing is eight so there’s no way that becomes a factor. Reading need Leyton Orient to slip up, which they haven’t done for over a month, and they need to capitalise themselves.
In other news, the EFL Awards have happened and it was Richard Kone (Wycombe Wanderers) who got presented with the League One Young Player of the Year trophy ahead of Tyler Bindon. Kone then also got presented with the overall League One Player of the Season gong so fair enough. If he’s the best in the division then he’s also going to be the best young player. We’ll assume Bindon came second in the voting. Little bit annoying that there wasn’t a single Reading player in the Team of the Season though, not Bindon nor any of his teammates. Oh well, so it goes. None of those players got signed by a club that’ll potentially qualify for Champions League.
I'm following this weekend's League One results keenly as a Charlton Athletic supporter (my mum was from there) and with the Kiwi player ties to Reading, Burton Albion and Mansfield. Very tight amongst the third - sixth place sides plus seventh place Reading in the race for the Top Six and the play-offs. A Charlton win against Crocombe's Burton Albion could see them finish as high as fourth, the two teams above them playing each other. Bindon's Reading (7th) and Orient (6th) tied on 75 points but Orient much superior goal difference. Crocombe's Burton Albion and Waine's loan side Mansfield now safe from relegation. Table: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/league-one/table
Big context with Reading, albeit he's lucky to be moving on.
There has been another extension for the toxic owner to sell the club, early next week.
If he doesn't they will be banned from playing the playoffs.
To get there they needed to better Leyton Orients result away to Huddersfield (who fell off and lost 5 on the bounce).
So results wide a big miracle, but the ownership saga continues. News this week that Premier League warned EFL against the owner, which was ignored. They were in Premier League playoffs then, 2017.Big Pete 65
I'm following this weekend's League One results keenly as a Charlton Athletic supporter (my mum was from there) and with the Kiwi player ties to Reading, Burton Albion and Mansfield. Very tight amongst the third - sixth place sides plus seventh place Reading in the race for the Top Six and the play-offs. A Charlton win against Crocombe's Burton Albion could see them finish as high as fourth, the two teams above them playing each other. Bindon's Reading (7th) and Orient (6th) tied on 75 points but Orient much superior goal difference. Crocombe's Burton Albion and Waine's loan side Mansfield now safe from relegation. Table: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/league-one/table
That future won't be at Reading, ie no loan deal back to them from Forest. They will be staying in League One next season after losing 2-4 to Barnsley. Full game Tyler. Joe Gauci in goal for Barnsley.
Royals finish season 7th. Leyton Orient won against Huddersfield Town, so even if Reading had won it wouldn't have mattered.
Next for Bindon some pre season stuff at Forest, plus AWs in Toronto.
..... Tyler Bindon will leave Reading Football Club as the reigning Player of the Year, having helped guide them out of a dark era and into fresh ownership. Put simply, he was one of the best defenders in all of League One. He played the ninth most minutes in all of the division (the youngest player in the top 80) and made the second-most defensive clearances. His goal-line clearances and last-man tackles are already a thing of legend... yet somehow for a bloke who is as combative in the challenge as TB is he only copped three bookings all season.
Hero’s farewell for Tyler Bindon who picks up the player of the season award. Go well- going to have a great career… #readingfcpic.twitter.com/pAVg24epDL
