READING ACADEMY graduate Rob Dickie has departed for rivals Oxford United.
Dickie, who had recently been out on loan at Cheltenham, will link up with Pep Clotet and the squad ahead of their league one game against Blackpool this weekend.
He joins Oxford on a two-and-a-half-year deal after the U's paid an undisclosed fee for the England U19 centre-back.
The 21-year-old played just once for the first team, in the final game of the 2015-2016 season away at Blackburn Rovers.
He spent a year on loan at Basingstoke Town in 2014-2015, before being part of the Cheltenham Town team that won the National League in 2015-16.
He returned to Cheltenham for the 2016-2017 season, and has spent the first half of this campaign on loan at League Two side Lincoln City.
Dickie told the Oxford United website: "I have loved my time at Reading and at Lincoln this season but this is a fantastic opportunity for me.
"Oxford have a reputation for playing good football and everyone knows about the potential at the club so I can’t wait to join training for the first time and get involved."
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