On December 4, 2024, Reading announced Ruben Selles would be leaving his role as first-team manager to take over at Hull City in the Championship, but three sackings later, it’s safe to say the Spaniard’s career hasn’t quite gone the way he imagined since leaving RG2.
Background
Selles began his coaching career at the same club he started his playing career: his local side Parreta CF, where he managed their youth team from 1999 to 2003.
He would spend time as an assistant coach after this, jumping from club to
club, working for the likes of Qarabag, AGF, Copenhagen and Southampton, to name a few.
The Saints were the first club to allow Selles to take full control of the first team, as caretaker/interim manager, following Ralph Hasenhuttl’s sacking, and then again after the sacking of Nathan Jones, where he would see out the remainder of the 2022/23 season.
During his time in charge, Selles would win 1-0 away at Stamford Bridge, as well as drawing 4-4 with Liverpool on the final day, but he could only muster up two wins from 17 and the Saints were relegated into the Championship.
Reading: The Royal charge
Reading appointed Selles on June 26, 2023 and he initially struggled in his first full-time role as a manager, but he gained his first win at Millwall, 4-0, in the League Cup.
Selles joined Reading during a turbulent time, with the club recently relegated from the Championship and stuck with an owner who had lost interest but stayed reluctant to sell.
Reading faced many sanctions and embargoes, meaning the club had to rely on free transfers and loan signings only, and were handed multiple points deductions due to Dai Yongge’s failures as an owner.
Selles would stay with the Royals until December 5, 2024, having managed 78 games, leaving the Royals battling for a playoff position after guiding Reading away from the drop zone in his first season. In his time at RG2, Selles had a points-per game (PPG) rate of 1.53 – the best in his career to date.
Hull City: Mauled by the Tigers
The Tigers were in the midst of a relegation battle when Selles was appointed after just missing out on the playoffs the season prior.
Selles would be successful in guiding Hull to safety, keeping them up on goal difference, but this was not enough for the Spaniard to keep his job. He was sacked after just 206 days in charge, managing just 28 games with nine wins to his name. He left Hull with a PPG of 1.21, his best post-Reading.
In my opinion, with the knowledge Selles had at the time, I understand why he took the Hull job. Selles was growing increasingly frustrated with the higher-ups at the club, losing key players and coaching staff during his tenure.
Hull offered Selles security and a good transfer budget to help keep the team up and hopefully build (we know now that he would not get a full season).
Sheffield United: Battered Blades
Despite being sacked by Hull, his time at the KCOM was seen as a success by many, with Selles managing to complete the job he came in to do. Because of this, playoff finalists Sheffield United decided to gamble on the Spaniard and offer him the job following Chris Wilder’s dismissal.
The 42-year-old (at the time) oversaw a major overhaul at Bramall Lane, with 15 first-team signings made, including bringing Tyler Bindon in on loan after the success they had previously at Reading.
During this overhaul, 10 first-team players would leave the club, including key players such as Kieffer Moore, Jack Robinson and Anel Ahmedhodzic.
Selles’ tenure at Bramall Lane was nothing short of a disaster, with the Blades losing all six league matches, leading to his sacking after losing 5-0 at Ipswich Town, leaving the club sitting bottom of the league.
Sheffield United were impressed with what they saw from Selles at Hull, which is why they offered him the job, despite his sacking from Hull.
Again, in my opinion this was a good move for the young manager. Going off league position in the previous season, Sheffield United were set up to give Selles the chance to battle for promotion to the Premier League.
Real Zaragoza: Homeward bound
On October 20, 2025, Selles was announced as the manager of Real Zaragoza in the Spanish second division. He came into the club with aspirations of being able to challenge for a playoff spot after an 18th-place finish last season.
Selles would face the sack for the third time in 10 months, having managed just 20 matches and lasting only 133 days. Real Zaragoza were bottom of the league after suffering three defeats and two draws in their last five games, averaging a PPG of just 1.05 in Selles’ short tenure.
To rub salt in the wound, Los Blanquillos announced Selles’ departure in a 53-word statement. It read:
“Real Zaragoza announces the termination of its contractual relationship with sporting director Txema Indias and coach Ruben Selles.
“The club thanks Txema Indias and Ruben Selles for their professionalism, dedication and hard work during their time with the club and wishes them the best of luck in their future endeavours.”
The timing of this job does feel rushed on Selles’ part, and in my opinion he could have done with some time away from football – and not risked damaging his reputation, especially by joining a club that has expectations far above their means, expecting a playoff push despite finishing 18th in the previous season.
Final thoughts
Selles’ career has struggled to lift off after leaving Reading, with three sackings in 10 months, but he is still in the infancy of his managerial career and perhaps could benefit from not rushing into another position and risking doing more damage to his name.
But what will Selles do next? Where will he end up? Could he ever return to Reading? And would you take him back?
