Mantell’s men start their campaign with a trip to rivals Surbiton on Saturday (4.30pm).

It has been a long, hard summer for Reading that has seen the departure of older members of the squad, but the Reading skipper is excited to see how his young side progresses this season.

He said: “We’ve lost a few players but we have some good young players coming through and I look forward to seeing how they develop.

“Ben Boon was very good for England U21s over the summer; he’ll have a key role for us, whilst people like Pete Scott, Max Heaver and some others will have to really step up and show they deserve a first-team spot.”

Meanwhile, Reading women also travel to Surbiton on Saturday, hoping to get their Investec Women’s League title Premier Division campaign off to the perfect start.

Susie Gilbert, skipper of Reading, admits it will be a tough fixture but is looking for revenge against the side that knocked Reading out of the play-offs last season.

“Sarah Page is an exciting player going forward who can make a difference in any game,” she said. “Surbiton as a whole were very tough last season.

“We lost in the play-offs to them on Investec Finals Weekend so they’re the big rivals and the team we hope to beat this time around.”