The 23-year-old was a shining light under Nigel Adkins and was in the running for Royals’ player of the season at the turn of the year.

But the arrival of Nathaniel Chalobah and Steve Clarke’s tendancy to switch between 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 has left Norwood in and out of the team on a regular basis.

The midfielder has started just three of Reading’s last seven games and is often the one left out when Clarke opts for a two-man midfield, with the Reading boss seemingly preferring the partnership of Chalobah and Danny Williams.

Norwood accepts rotation is part of the game but admits he has been left frustrated after finding himself in and out of the team.

“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “I can’t say too much at the moment but yeah, I’m frustrated.

“It’s up to the gaffer to pick the team, you just have to make sure that when you get the chance to play that you do well.

“I’ve not spoken to him, I just leave him to make his decisions.

“Maybe it puts extra pressure on you to play well when you’re in the team but we’re all professionals and sometimes you have to accept the decisions and keep working hard.

“That is all you can do and when you play, make sure you play well.” Norwood’s inclusion in the starting line-up has coincided with three Reading defeats against Huddersfield, Wigan and Leeds United.

It has been three below-par performances and Norwood laughed that it isn’t helping his case for a future starting spot.

The midfielder was named man-of-the-match against Wigan but still found himself relegated to the bench for the trip to Ipswich last Saturday.

“Every game I’ve played we’ve lost at the moment,” added a perplexed Norwood. “Obviously I’m frustrated but I can’t say too much and I’ve got to get on with it.

“It’s part and parcel of the job. It’s how it is. You have to make sure you play well, it isn’t going my way at the moment with results but I’m sure it’ll turn.

“The onus is on me to get on the ball and play. I have to make sure I do that when I’m picked.” Norwood completed the 90 minutes against his former side Huddersfield on Tuesday but was left with bad memories of his return to the John Smith’s Stadium as Reading slipped to a 3-0 defeat.

The Burnley-born midfielder nearly scored a goal of the season contender with an audacious effort from the halfway line but it paled into insignificance following the final score.

“It was a poor performance and it wasn’t acceptable,” he added. “We played better football but it’s irrelevant as they beat us 3-0 and deserved to win.

“All three goals were sloppy tonight. We gave the ball away in a silly area for the second goal and then we talk about not getting countered on but that’s what happened for the third goal “We just weren’t good enough, that’s the top and tail of it.”