Royals sign Dutch defender on three-year contract

The 20-year-old moves to the Madejski Stadium from Ajax

READING have announced that 20-year-old Dutch defender Darren Sidoel has completed a move from Ajax to sign a contract which will keep him at Madejski Stadium until the summer of 2021.

Born in Den Haag, Sidoel made his professional debut for Jong Ajax at the start of last season, scoring on his Erste Divisie debut in a 2-1 win against SC Cambuur.

It was the start of a campaign which would see the former Netherlands Under-17 international make 14 appearances, helping Jong Ajax clinch the second tier title in Holland by a margin of just one point.

Simultaneously, the full-back has also represented Ajax’s Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, coming up against the likes of Real Madrid, Dinamo Kiev, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain amongst others.

Now, Sidoel leaves his homeland for the first time and arrives in Reading, aiming to progress his career in blue and white hoops.

Chief Executive Ron Gourlay said, “I am very pleased to be able to welcome a talented young professional like Darren to Reading Football Club.

He is a player with real potential and crucially a drive to improve and a hunger for success. It is good to have him here at Reading.”

Technical Director Brian Tevreden said, “Darren is a very promising young player whose progress we have been closely monitoring for quite some time now. So I am delighted that we have secured his signature.”