Steve Coppell is sure that Kevin Doyle will once again get back to scoring goals in the Barclays Premier League.

After notching 13 times for the Royals last season, Kevin has found goals harder to come by in this campaign, with five goals in 29(+1) top flight appearances.

All of his five goals have come with his head, and his last effort was back in early December when we beat Liverpool.

He has played 15 times since then without finding the net, but Steve is happy to let the 24-year-old frontman work his way back to goalscoring form.

The boss said, "I don't speak to him about it and his performances don't look as if they are affected by it.

"He is missing chances, which I always think is a great sign because if he was not getting opportunities then you would question it a bit more.

"His overall contribution to the team is still significant. I am confident he will score goals, in training he scores goals, he is a natural born goalscorer. He is an asset."

After making such an incredible introduction to the English top flight, Steve still says Kevin is progressing.

"Yes, I would say he is progressing. It is never a straight line progression and his incline when he first came here was so rapid, it was inevitable there would be a plateauing out, but I still think he is on the upward curve.

"Now, people know more about him. Players come through English football and there is a knowledge through Academy football to know what he can do and what he can't do.

"He came straight from nowhere and physically he was right up to speed, he was as strong as most defenders and he had that element of surprise for some time.

"But, under the microscope of the Premiership, everything is slow motion and this, that and the other. People learn about you and you have to have a strong mentality to be able to subtly change what you do and still be a surprise.

"He has that in him, bright as a button, he is intelligent, knows what he is doing and where he is going."

Kevin will make his 99th league start for the Royals at home to Blackburn this weekend. In total, he has played 101(+14) times for Steve Coppell, scoring 37 times.

In his 15 games for Ireland, he has scored five goals to become first choice alongside Robbie Keane.

If you fancy him to find the net this weekend, our official bookmakers Bet365 make him 35/1 to score the only goal.