READING FC star Liam Moore has today put pen to paper on a fresh four-year deal at Madejski Stadium.

The highly-rated centre-back moved to Berkshire last year and made 47 starts in his maiden season as the Royals finished 3rd in the Championship.

Moore joins John Swift and Liam Kelly in having signed a new long-term deals at the club, and will hope the Royals can go one step further than last year's play-off final defeat.

The 24-year-old quickly established himself as a key figure in Jaap Stam's side last season and helped to keep 16 clean sheets across the campaign.

The former Leicester City player made more blocks than any defender in the league, and Royals wanted to fend off any Premier League interest in his services.


Manager Jaap Stam said: “Liam has been very important for us since joining the club from Leicester at the start of last season.

"He has already made a lot of progress in his time at the club and anyone who saw him play last season would have seen how much of a driving force he was in our team.

“A defender with real quality and talent, Liam is a player who can be very important in the club’s future.

"As a club, we want to make progress and you need to keep players like Liam within your squad and build your team around those players.

"So I’m delighted he’s signed a new deal.”

Moore was runner-up of the fans' player of the season award.

And director of football Brian Tevreden insisted Moore fully deserves a bumper new deal, which the Chronicle understands includes a significant pay rise.

He asserted: “Liam was one of a number of outstanding performers at the club in his first season as a Royal and, with the commitment he showed in every minute he played and the ability he demonstrated throughout the campaign, he fully deserves this new contract.

"Liam is a perfect example of the new standard of player we are aiming to attract and keep at our club and I am delighted that he has committed the next four years of his future to Reading.”