Soccer:Reading have completed the signing of right-back Stephen Kelly from Fulham. The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international has joined the Royals on a two-and-a-half year contract, the Premier League strugglers have announced.

The 29-year-old Dubliner was a key player for the Cottagers last season but has lost his starting berth to Sascha Riether this term and leaves the west Londoners in search of first-team football. The move is still subject to final ratification of all paperwork from the football authorities and Kelly will not be involved in Reading’s match against West Brom tomorrow afternoon.

“I’m delighted to have Stephen here,” manager Brian McDermott said this evening. “He has played a lot of games in the Premier League and more than 30 times for his country. He’s the kind of player I’ve been talking about – someone with great experience, but at 29 still young in football terms and at a really good stage in his career.

“I’ve always liked him as a player, and the first time I met him was at Kevin Doyle’s wedding a while ago now and I thought he was a top guy. I know he’s going to fit into the dressing room here really well. He’s up for the fight, up for the battle, he’s hungry, he wants to do well and I know he’ll be successful for us.”

McDermott also ruled out a move for Ireland striker Kevin, who enjoyed a memorable spell with the club before his move to Wolves.

“I speak to Kevin (Doyle) regularly and he was another Reading legend,” he said. “But he’s a Wolves player and I’m sure they’ll be very keen to make sure he’s a Wolves player. It’s a strange one there, they’ve just lost their manager but I’m sure He’ll be a massive asset to Dean Saunders.”

Kelly becomes Reading’s third signing of the January transfer window following the arrivals of midfielders Daniel Carrico and Hope Akpan.