ROYALS striker Yann Kermorgant has penned a new deal with Reading FC, committing himself to the Madejski Stadium until the summer of 2018.

Kermorgant is the club's joint-top goalscorer with eight goals in all competitions and he has been an integral part of Reading's success in the Championship under Jaap Stam this season.

The French forward joined the club in the 2015 January window, signing an 18-month deal which was due to expire at the end of the 2016/17 campaign.

Manager Stam told the club's website: "Yann has been very important for us throughout the season, with his experience and the quality that he has.

"He has made a big impact for us in the first half of the season and it is important for us as a team and a club to keep players with those qualities within the group.

"If you look at the team and how we are performing, Yann is a big part of that. He is enjoying himself – he has been scoring goals and he is important for the team in other ways as well.

"If you have players of that calibre in your squad, it is a good thing to sign them onto a new deal – players like Yann aren’t easy to replace. So I’m very happy that he has signed a new deal."

The Frenchman's league goals have helped Reading to push for an automatic promotion place this season, with the Royals currently in third place heading into their home tie against play-off hopefuls Barnsley tomorrow (Kick off 3pm).